


CSI: NCT

by The_Sassiest_Trixster



Series: NCT [6]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Blood and Violence, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 113
Words: 156,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sassiest_Trixster/pseuds/The_Sassiest_Trixster
Summary: A supernatural team of forensic investigators that use cutting-edge scientific methods and old-fashioned police work to solve crimes.  Lieutenant Lee Taeyong, a former homicide detective, heads the group of investigators who work crimes amid the steamy tropical surroundings and cultural crossroads of Yadrioria.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Moon Taeil, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Series: NCT [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668625
Comments: 162
Kudos: 469





	1. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Moon Taeil (Fallen Angel): Medical Examiner  
> Kim Doyoung (Phoenix): Forensic Ballistic Expert  
> Lee Donghyuck (Archdemon): Fingerprint and drug identification expert  
> Mark Lee (Archangel): Trace and DNA Analyst/AV Expert  
> Lee Taeyong (Deathless): CSI Supervisor/Forensic Analyst  
> Jung Jaehyun (Sentinel): CSI Assistant Supervisor/Homicide Detective/Criminal Psychologist  
> Dong Sicheng (Dragon): Trace evidence and impressions expert/DNA Analyst  
> Nakamoto Yuta (Kitsune): Audio/Visual Tech/DNA Analyst
> 
> Dialogue from CSI: Miami, everything else is all me

It was a nice day in Yadrioria as a rather distraught woman carrying large bags full of expensive clothing pushed her way through the crowded sidewalk towards the bus stop. As she pushed her way through, a few of the passerby’s made noises of annoyance, but the woman couldn’t be bothered with them as she continued to push through the crowd until she made to the edge of the curb by the bus stop. As she watched the on-coming bus move closer to the stop, she slowly began to inch off the curve before she was suddenly shoved from behind and sent into the bus’s path, colliding with the bus’s right windshield before being sent flying through the air and landing a few feet away, a broken and bloody mess.

~*~*~*~*~

A few minutes later, Lieutenant Lee Taeyong of the Yadrioria Crime Lab was at the scene, assessing it. Just then, his right hand man, Dr. Jung Jaehyun, walked over to him.

“Got the northbound lane shut down. P.D.'s questioning everyone” he stated.

“And what are they saying?” Taeyong asked, hands on his hips.

“She appeared upset. Pushed her way through the crowd, toward the street. And then just went flying through the air” Jaehyun replied.

“The damage on the bus is front and center, so that takes timing” Taeyong mused as he looked at the cracked windshield on the bus.

“Suicide?” Jaehyun inquired. Taeyong shook his head.

“I don't think so. You don't spend a thousand dollars on clothes that you're never going to wear” he murmured. Jaehyun nodded and was about to say something when one of the police officers called him over, making him walk away, just as Dr. Moon Taeil, YPD’s medicial examiner, arrived at the scene and walked over to where the victim’s body lay. He then knelt down and placed gloves on his hands before he began to examine the body, gently touching and squeezing the different parts of the girl’s body.

“We'd have a better chance charting what isn't broken on this girl” he murmured before he looked up at Taeyong, who was staring down at him.

“Both arms shattered. Torso twisted like a corkscrew” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Based on the points of impact, Taeil, she landed at seven and then rolled all the way to you” he stated, motioning to marker number seven before slowly pointing his finger at Taeil. Taeil sighed and continued his examination while CSI Lee Donghyuck, fingerprint and drug expert, walked over to them, carrying a camera.

“Donghyuck” Taeyong greeted.

“That Metrobus doesn't make scheduled stops here at the Marketplace. He was going to Brickell Park doing 45 miles an hour” Donghyuck stated.

“More than enough” Taeil grumbled as he continued his examination. Just then, a tall young man with light skin, black hair with blonde highlights, and brown eyes dressed in a police uniform walked over to them.

“Lieutenant?” the man called out in a rather soft, yet strong, voice. Taeyong, Taeil, and Donghyuck turned to look at him as he cleared his throat.

“I'm Officer Mark Lee. I ascertained that there are no surveillance cameras at the scene, so I canvassed the witnesses to see if there was any camera or video equipment that might have filmed it. Got a couple names, sir” he stated. Taeyong and Donghyuck looked at him appreciatively before Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you, Mark. We'll take it from here” he stated. Officer Lee nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied before he turned and walked away. As he was walking away, Taeyong watched as Donghyuck followed the officer with his eyes before turning to face him.

“I like him, hyung. He’s thorough” he declared. Taeyong nodded in agreement.

“Yes. Follow up, please” he ordered. Donghyuck smirked.

“Will do, _Lieutenant_ ” he teased before he quickly headed after the officer while Jaehyun came walking back over to him.

“Yes sir?” he asked.

“Find an I.D. yet?” Jaehyun replied.

“No, I didn't. Have you?” Taeyong inquired.

“Marketplace security apprehended a shoplifter. Confiscated some DVDs and this: a $500 wallet” Jaehyun stated as he held out a black wallet. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“And it's a woman's wallet. Our victim has expensive taste, doesn't she?” he asked as he took the wallet from Jaehyun and opened it, finding the woman’s license.

_“_ _Katrina Hannagan”_ he read aloud as he looked down at the woman as Taeil turned her over. Taeyong then turned to look at the shoplifter and frowned.

“Bring him in?” Jaehyun inquired.

“By all means” Taeyong replied.


	2. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 2

Back at the crime lab, Jaehyun walked into the interrogation room where their suspect was sitting with a look of annoyance on his face.

“Well, according to your rap sheet, you've been arrested twice before…at the same place” Jaehyun mused as he sat down before the man.

“And did I push any of them in front of a bus? No. And I didn't push this lady” the man grumbled.

“Maybe she tripped, that it?” Jaehyun sneered. 

“I was never on that curb. I work the elevators. Girls' hands are always filled with shopping bags. You don't even need a weapon. Check out my key chain. One little laser pointer and girls are shakin' in their high heels” the man snapped before he sighed.

“Opportunity; that's all it was. No knife, no gun; no violence” he assured.

“Jaehyun, where did we pick our friend Pete up?” Taeyong asked from where he was standing by the glass doors of the interrogation room.

“Far end of the Plaza, near Third Street” Jaehyun replied.

“That's an awful lot of ground to cover in a such a short period of time” Taeyong mused.

“I told you, I didn't put her in front of that bus” the man exclaimed.

“No, but you motivated her to run towards it, didn't you, Pete?” Taeyong snarled. Just then, Officer Mark walked into the crime lab, making Jaehyun look over at him before he looked back at the suspect.

“Excuse me” he murmured before he stood up and walked over to Taeyong.

“Taeyong” he stated.

“Yeah?” Taeyong replied.

“Your appointment's here, Mark Lee” Jaehyun stated. Taeyong hummed.

“First officer from the Metrobus case” he murmured. Jaehyun nodded.

“He's asked me to put in a good word for him” he explained. Taeyong chuckled.

“So he's not shy” he mused. Jaehyun chuckled as well and shook his head.

“Quiet and soft spoken, but definitely not shy” he agreed before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Look, he's got a Bachelor's in chemistry, and he works patrol until he finishes his Masters in genetics” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Sounds like I should talk to him then” he declared before he looked over his shoulder at the suspect.

“Sit tight, Pete” he ordered as he walked out of the interrogation room and over to Mark, who was sitting down on one of the benches.

“Officer Lee” he greeted, making Mark look up at him.

“Lieutenant. Thanks for meeting with me” he replied. Taeyong smiled.

“No problem. Step over here, Mark” he ordered, motioning for Mark to follow him as they stepped away from where people could hear their conversation.

“So Dr. Jung tells me that you're thinking about a career change” he mused. Mark nodded.

“Only if I can be a criminalist. I've done a dozen ride-alongs with homicide. Aced quantitative analysis. Hit all the seminars. I'm ready” he assured. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, so no more patrol” he declared. Mark shook his head.

“Patrol's great, but there's no follow-through. Dispatch calls, you move on. CSI, you stay till the case is solved, victim's buried” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay. Let me see your service pistol” he ordered, making Mark frown.

“Sir?” he asked.

“Your weapon. Let me see it” Taeyong repeated. Mark nodded and quickly got out his gun and handed it to Taeyong, who removed the ejection port and took out the bullet that was inside before looking down into the muzzle, noticing how very clean it looked.

“You clean this every week?” he inquired. Mark shrugged.

“Yeah, sometimes a little more when I’m bored. Apparently it drives the Watch Commander crazy” he replied with a small smile. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, let me see your backup” he ordered. Mark nodded and reached down into his boot where his back-up revolver was stashed. He then handed that to Taeyong, who opened the chamber and looked down that muzzle, noticing that it was as clean as the 9mm service pistol.

“Impressive” he murmured. Mark blinked before he sighed heavily.

“Did I just lose this job?” he asked softly. Taeyong smiled and glanced over Mark’s head at Jaehyun, who smiled back, before looking back at the young police officer.

“You know what? I need to think about it. Have a seat over there” he instructed. Mark nodded and quickly collected his guns before heading over to the bench that Taeyong told him to sit at.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in the lab portion of the crime lab, Kim Doyoung, forensic ballistics expert, walked over to the visitor’s desk. 

“Hey, Stephanie. Someone's here to see me?” he asked.

“Mmhm” the officer, Stephanie, replied, motioning to the glass holding area, where an older gentleman was seated. Doyoung looked over and when he saw who the man was, he sighed before he took a deep breath and walked over, opening the door.

“Father” he greeted, making the man quickly shoot to his feet.

“I've really done it this time” he exclaimed. Doyoung frowned.

“What happened?” he asked, concerned.

“I didn't know where else to go. Doyoung, I—I think I killed someone” the man, Doyoung’s father, stammered. Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“What? What do you mean, you think you killed somebody?” he exclaimed softly.

“With my car” Mr. Kim explained.

“When did this happen?” Doyoung demanded.

“Before sunup” Mr. Kim replied. 

“Where?” Doyoung questioned. Mr. Kim shook his head, making Doyoung shut his eyes in exasperation.

“You don't remember” he groaned before he sighed.

“Show me the car” he ordered. Mr. Kim nodded and led Doyoung to his car that was parked not too far from the crime lab.

“You definitely hit something” Doyoung muttered as he pulled out his flashlight and shown it on a few scrapes of orange paint.

“Maybe just a stanchion” he mused before he looked under the undercarriage, noticing that there was definitely blood.

“Father—” he started.

“Is it blood?” Mr. Kim asked. When Doyoung looked over at him and didn’t say anything, Mr. Kim let out a groan and stood to his feet.

“It's blood, isn't it? Oh, God, that's the first drink I've had in six months” he exclaimed, running his hands through his hair. Doyoung was shocked into silence at his father’s confession, but he wasn’t really surprised.

“What do I do now? What happens now?” Mr. Kim asked.

“Take another one” Doyoung ordered, standing to his feet. Mr. Kim frowned at his son.

“What?! That's what got me here in the first place, Doyoung” he exclaimed.

“You came to me for help. I'm offering you help. Take another drink” Doyoung snapped. Mr. Kim frowned and shook his head as he pulled out his flask from his pocket.

“A drink? Well, well, I can't see how—” he started.

“Just do it!” Doyoung ordered. Mr. Kim sighed before he started to take large swigs from his flask. Doyoung made a face of disgust before he turned and headed back to the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

Inside the crime lab, Jaehyun and Taeyong were talking about their bus victim.

“Katrina Hannagan's family says she was seeing a guy named Jay Seaver. He works at Grove-Turner Advertising in a building near the plaza” Jaehyun explained.

“Which was where Katrina was killed” Taeyong mused before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Have Mr. Seaver come in to see me immediately” he ordered. Jaehyun nodded and headed over to his desk to make the call as Doyoung and his father walked in.

“Taeyong” Doyoung called out, making Taeyong look over at them.

“Hey” he replied before he noticed Doyoung’s father standing behind him.

“Um…” he started.

“Is there someplace we can talk?” Doyoung asked softly. Taeyong frowned at him.

“Uh, I-I think we're okay right here. What's going on?” he replied, concern entering his voice.

“My father has come to turn himself in. I was thinking Dr. Jung would be best” Doyoung explained, making Jaehyun look up from his desk.

“My car was involved in a…in a…in an incident last night” Mr. Kim stammered. Taeyong frowned as he looked at him.

“Sir, is the scotch on your breath related to that incident?” he inquired.

“He took a drink to calm his nerves before we came in. I witnessed it” Doyoung explained. Taeyong hummed.

“So the blood alcohol test is not going to help us then. You do realize that you're riding the line on this, right?” he asked, looking into Doyoung’s eyes. Doyoung nodded minutely, making Taeyong nod as well.

“Okay, Jaehyun, please” he called out, making Jaehyun stand up from his desk.

“Yep” he replied as he headed out. Doyoung then turned to his father.

“Father, do you mind waiting?” he asked. Mr. Kim’s eyes widened.

“Oh, sure” he replied as he walked away, leaving only Doyoung and Taeyong.

“I'd like to stay on the case” Doyoung stated once his father was out of earshot.

“I don't think that would be a good idea. I think we need somebody who's not biased to you” Taeyong replied softly.

“Someone from the night shift?” Doyoung asked.

“I'm thinking patrol” Taeyong replied. Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“Patrol? A newbie? They don't even know how it works at CSI” he exclaimed. 

“I need you to trust me on this” Taeyong soothed before he looked over at Mark.

“Mark” he called out, making the young police officer stand to his feet and walk over to him.

“Yes, sir” Mark replied. Taeyong smiled at him.

“Mark, you're hired” he declared. Mark blinked before he frowned.

“Um, well, what about the paperwork?” he asked.

“You let me worry about that; you're on the clock. Mount up. Go ahead, son” Taeyong ordered. Mark nodded.

“Okay” he replied before he quickly headed off towards the locker rooms to get changed.

“Do me a favor and go with me on this one, all right?” Taeyong asked, glancing over at Doyoung.

“It's your order” Doyoung replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	3. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 3

After Taeyong hired Mark, he walked into the locker room and looked around before he walked over to the only available locker, which was a rather shitty one next to a locker labeled “Li Wei”. 

_‘I wonder who that is’_ he thought to himself before he pried open the shitty locker and placed his gym back inside. He then removed his walkie-talkie and radio and placed them inside the locker before he continued to change out of his uniform and into civilian clothes.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in the morgue, Taeyong walked into Taeil’s examination and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well?” he asked.

“Well, we can rule out suicide for our Metrobus victim” Taeil replied.

“What do we have then, Taeil?” Taeyong asked. Taeil pulled back the sheet to reveal a rather large bruise in the middle of Katrina’s back.

“Fresh bruise square on her back. Perimortem. Could be from a hand” he mused. Taeyong hummed as he walked over to the exam table to look at what Taeil was showing him.

“So no hesitation and all force” he inferred. Taeil nodded.

“Your hunch was right. It's a homicide” he declared. 

“Okay, what else?” Taeyong asked.

“Subcutaneous pictures show massive bruising on Miss Hannagan” Taeil replied as he handed a file full of photos taken during the autopsy over to his boss.

“Older bruising. Hemoglobin had time to break down. Inner thighs. Extremities. Broken wrist. Think our girl was a victim long before that bus hit her, and look” he ordered, showing Taeyong Katrina’s left hand.

“No wedding ring” he declared. Taeyong hummed as he put his hands on his hips.

“But she does have a boyfriend and his name his Jay Seaver” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

“I can't believe this happened to Katrina” Jay stated as he sat before Taeyong up in the interrogation room after Reid had called him in.

“How long have you been seeing each other?” Taeyong asked.

“A couple of months. I saw her when I could. The ad business kinda eats up the hours, you know?” Jay explained.

“I understood that you work near the Marketplace. What were you doing at noon?” Taeyong inquired.

“Company gym, in the basement. Pickup games, full court. Every Monday and Wednesday, with the guys in the office. You could ask anyone” Jay replied. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Should I ask them about the bruises on Katrina's body?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Jay sighed.

“Those. Yeah. I asked her about those, too. She said she was getting clumsy, kept falling down in public. I told her to see a doctor. I thought it was an inner-ear problem” he explained.

“Then she was hit by a bus” Taeyong snapped. Jay frowned at him.

“I see where this is going, but I didn't do it. I loved Katrina” he assured. Taeyong rolled his eyes.

“Jay. I think that you're not telling me something” he declared. Jay frowned.

“Like what?” he asked.

“I don’t know yet” Taeyong growled.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the Audio/Visuals lab, Donghyuck walked over to Yuta Nakamoto, the Audio/Visuals Tech and DNA Analyst.

“Hyung, did you get anything off that digital camera that the, uh, officer found at the scene?” he inquired. Yuta nodded.

“Yeah, I copied all the shots on to the hard drive. These are not your grandparents' vacation pictures” he replied. Donghyuck chuckled.

“Yadrioria air, hyung. Makes people do things they'd never do back home” he mused before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Anything at the Marketplace?” he asked. Yuta searched through the photos until he found some that looked promising.

“This looks like the curb out front” he stated, finally landing on one photo.

“Our victim was behind this cameraman. So, we're looking the wrong way. Do they ever turn around?” Donghyuck asked. Yuta went through the photos once more before he shook his head.

“No. That's it” he replied. Donghyuck huffed.

“Great. Doesn't help us at all” he grumbled.

“Maybe it does. I've got some software that can magnify their eyes” Yuta explained, making Donghyuck raise an eyebrow at him.

“To catch a reflection?” he asked. 

“Yeah, in the tear fluid. If the eye is hydrated enough, makes a great mirror” Yuta replied. Donghyuck grinned.

“We'll see what the couple's looking at” he declared before he reached out and clapped Yuta on the shoulder.

“Thanks hyung. Get back to me when you get something” he ordered before he turned and walked out of the lab.

“Will do” Yuta replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the forensic garage, Mark, all dressed up in a lab coat and gloves on his hands, stood before Mr. Kim’s car, a small piece of paper in his hand and a small scalpel in the other. He then dug some of the dirt out of the tire-treads and placed them into the little well he had created with the paper when Doyoung walked in.

“You dove right in” he mused. Mark glanced over at him before he shrugged.

“Well, I’m used to following orders” he replied. Doyoung hummed.

“You'll be thorough, right?” he asked. Mark paused in his examination to look over at his new co-worker.

“Could you put your hands in your pockets, please?” he asked. Doyoung frowned at him.

“Excuse me?” he replied. Mark shrugged.

“Conflict of interest could compromise the case” he explained. Doyoung frowned but did what he was told as he placed his hands in his pants pockets.

“How is the case?” he asked. 

“Phenolphthalein indicated blood on the undercarriage and rims. Hematrace says it's human” Mark replied. 

“What about the orange paint?” Doyoung asked.

“Iridescent flecks suggest he also hit a traffic sign” Mark answered. Doyoung’s eyes widened and he quickly stepped forward, taking his hands out of his pockets.

“Oh, good, that's something we can use to pinpoint the location” he declared. Mark frowned and pressed his lips together.

“Um…your hands” he murmured. Doyoung rolled his eyes.

“Mark, I'm ten feet away” he argued. Mark moved his head back and forth, making a “fifty-fifty” motion with his hand.

“Eight and a half” he corrected before he sighed and stopped working.

“Officer Kim, I know it's my first day. Regardless, uncovering the truth is more important to me than proving myself, so if you don't mind I'm not finished yet” he snapped. Doyoung raised an eyebrow before he smirked and took a step back, placing his hands in his pockets.

“Thank you” Mark thanked before he turned back to what he was doing.

“Should I leave or—” Doyoung started.

“Do whatever you want, Officer. But please, do it quietly” Mark replied. Doyoung nodded and decided that it was a good idea for him to leave, so he just quietly turned and let Mark work on his father’s car. Once Doyoung was gone, Mark took the pieces of dirt from the tire-treads and placed them in a graduated cylinder of distilled water, watching as little metal pellets fell from the dirt to the bottom of the cylinder. Meanwhile, outside of his lab, Taeyong was watching proudly before his phone rang.

“Yeah” he answered, listening to whatever the other person on the line had to say before he hummed.

“Seaver's office? That's not a coincidence. I'm on my way” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	4. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 4

When Taeyong arrived at the scene, he quickly walked over to Donghyuck, who was taking pictures down an elevator shaft.

“Haechan. What’d you get?” he called out, making the man look up at him.

“Elevator's been out of service. Repairman found the body” Donghyuck replied. Taeyong frowned and walked over to the elevator, looking down to see Taeil examining a man victim, lying on floor of the elevator shaft.

“Okay, so then the question becomes—” he started, glancing up the shaft before looking back down at the body.

“—which floor did he fall from?” he finished.

“Doors were forced open on the fifth. No workable prints were found” Donghyuck replied. Taeyong hummed before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of latex gloves, slipping them on before entering the shaft, kneeling before Taeil.

“Okay, Taeil” he declared. Taeil nodded and turned the body onto its side, holding it against him as he explained his findings to Taeyong.

“Both arms are folded under his body, like he tried to break his fall. Impossible to do at five stories” he mused. Taeyong hummed before he noticed something in the victim’s fingers, so he reached out and grabbed the small green piece of fabric from the man’s fingers.

“Look at this, Taeil. He didn't go easily. Evidence of a struggle” he inferred as he twisted the piece of fabric with a button attached to in the light to try and see it better. Just then, Donghyuck walked back over, hands on his hips.

“Got some news, hyungs” he declared. Taeyong and Taeil looked up at him and raised their eyebrows.

“What is it, Haechan?” Taeil asked.

“His name is Patrick Wakefield, an account executive at Grove-Turner. He's also a friend and colleague of Jay Seaver” Donghyuck replied. Taeyong hummed.

“So we've got a girlfriend and now a colleague” he mused. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Not just any colleague, hyung. Office manager says that our victim here and Jay Seaver were up for the same promotion” he stated. Taeyong’s eyes widened before he hummed and looked back at the victim.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, back in the interrogation room, Taeyong decided to question Jay some more.

“Well, it looks like you're gonna get that promotion, now, Jay” Taeyong mused. Jay narrowed his eyes at him.

“You think I'm happy about this? Patrick was a friend” he exclaimed.

“Big corner office and a _huge_ expense account” Taeyong reminded.

“I did not push Patrick Wakefield down that elevator shaft” Jay exclaimed.

“Who did, Jay?” Taeyong demanded.

“My life is already in enough danger” Jay admitted. Taeyong raised an eyebrow at him.

“Why is that? You know but you can't tell me, right?” he inquired. 

“Hey, I already went to the police. They made things worse” Jay replied. Taeyong hummed.

“So you filed a complaint against somebody?” he mused.

“Claudia Sanders. I filed a temporary restraining order five months ago” Jay admitted. Taeyong hummed before he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Yes, this is Lieutenant Lee. Could you please run the name Jay Seaver through the T.R.O. records? Thank you” he thanked before he ended the call and looked at Jay with a raised eyebrow.

“I went on a few dates with her and I ended it but she wouldn't let it go. She kept calling me when I was on dates and she'd show up at the restaurants, intercept my mail. I thought it was finally safe to get out there and start seeing other people again and then this happens” Jay explained. Just then, Taeyong’s phone rang, making him hold up a hand before he answered the call.

“Lee. Yeah. Thank you” he thanked before he looked at Jay.

“So you did file a T.R.O. on May 6 of last year. Court says that Claudia can’t come within a hundred yards of you” he declared. Jay sighed.

“I could see a hundred yards, and she was always there. Always” he explained. Taeyong frowned and crossed his arms.

“Why didn't you report her?” he asked.

“I was afraid I might be next. I'm afraid she'll go after me for telling you this much” Jay admitted before he sighed and looked at Taeyong.

“So what do I do now?” he asked.

“You do nothing. You wait for what we do” Taeyong growled, eyes flashing before he turned and headed out of the interrogation room.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, after speaking to Jay, Taeyong headed down to the lab portion of the crime lab, where a young woman with dark brown hair was waiting for him.

“Claudia Sanders. Thank you for meeting me” he greeted as he walked over to the young woman.

“Dr. Jung called. Said you wanted to talk to me about Jay Seaver. Is he all right?” Claudia asked.

“Jay is fine. I understand that you and Jay are quite close” Taeyong stated. Claudia smiled.

“Very” she replied before she chuckled fondly.

“He puts ice in his milk. He squeezes into a 33 waist when he's busting out of a 34. He always makes the minimum payments on his credit cards, breaks a cell phone once a month” she explained before she shrugged.

“Familiarity gives birth to intimacy” she added. Taeyong hummed.

“Claudia, I am investigating the murders of Katrina Hannagan and Patrick Wakefield” he stated. Claudia nodded.

“I heard. It's just awful. Jay always knew that Katrina wasn't right for him, but he just couldn't shake her” she explained.

“I’ve also heard that he took out a restraining order on you” Taeyong stated. Claudia nodded.

“Five months ago” she agreed before she let out a little laugh.

“We've been laughing about it ever since. Jay's not big on commitment. He'll be the first one to tell you but I love him. I'd die for him” she admitted. Taeyong hummed.

“But would you kill for him?” he inquired. Claudia frowned at him.

“Do you have any evidence to suggest that I would?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We have recovered fibers from Patrick Wakefield's hand and it's a matter of time before I match them to someone” Taeyong replied. Claudia crossed her arms and gave him a look.

“Well, let me know when you do” she instructed. Taeyong nodded.

“Oh believe me, you will be first on my list” he declared before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Back up in the police department of the crime lab, Doyoung walked over to Jaehyun’s desk and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Anything?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah. You ever heard of The Whiskey Stop?” Jaehyun asked. Doyoung nodded.

“Yeah. It used to be my father's favorite bar” he replied. Jaehyun sighed.

“Yeah. Well, it still is. He was there until closing last night. Apparently a lot of other nights. Open tab. Over 800 bucks” he explained. Doyoung sighed and shook his head.

“First drink in six months my ass” he grumbled, just as Jaehyun’s phone rang.

“Just a second” he stated before he answered the call.

“Jung” he answered.

_“_ _It's Mark Lee, CSI. I got something from the soil on Mr. Kim’s tires. It's traces of iron, covered in a thin layer of calcium oxide, calcium fluoride, and silicone dioxide. Looks like weld spatter”_ Mark stated on the other line.

“That's something. Thanks” Jaehyun thanked before he hung up and looked over at Doyoung.

“New kid said he found weld spatter in your father’s tire tread” he stated.

“So he was near a construction site” Doyoung murmured.

“What's his route?” Jaehyun inquired. Doyoung frowned.

“His route?” he repeated. Jaehyun nodded.

“His default. From the bar to his house. Path of least resistance. Lessens the chance of getting hurt and pulled over” he explained. Doyoung was quiet before he sighed.

“Up 42nd. Coral Way to Granada” he replied. Jaehyun nodded.

“There's a new firehouse going up, tip of the Gables. I'll get Mark out of the lab, have him meet me there” he declared before he stood up out of his seat and headed for his car.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jaehyun arrived at the construction site, only to find Mark already there, kneeling before the orange road-work sign that was at the entrance of the site.

“And I thought I drove fast” he mused, loud enough to get Mark’s attention and make him turn around. He then stood to his feet and waited for Jaehyun to stand before him before he began speaking.

“This road usually goes through. It's just closed because of the construction” he explained before he looked down at the road-work sign, Jaehyun looking down at it as well.

“White paint. Mr. Kim had orange paint on the side of his car. It's a definite transfer” he declared. Jaehyun nodded.

“And if he were a bit inebriated and so used to his routine—” he started.

“He'd ignore the sign” Mark finished, a small smile on his face. Jaehyun then motioned for Mark to lead the way as they walked into the construction site, stopping before piece of metal structure.

“Arc welding. Steel beams joined by an iron-powder electrode. The process throws out metal particles” Mark explained before he looked down at the sand beneath the arc welding area.

“Tread impressions. Erratic pattern” he mused.

“And about ten inches wide. Both consistent with Kim’s vehicle” Jaehyun added. Mark hummed before they began walking once more, only to stop when they found a body with tire treads over its body. Jaehyun sighed while Mark just stared at it with nearly a blank expression on his face.

“I'll call the M.E.s” Jaehyun declared before he pulled his phone out and dialed a number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	5. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 5

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong stood outside of Donghyuck’s lab and waited for him to come back with the results from the fibers found at their second scene.

“Haechan. The fibers from the elevator shaft” he stated as his detective came out to meet him.

“It’s an entangled fiber pulp composite. It's used in high-strength polyester” Donghyuck explained, handing the result sheet over to him.

“Synthetic polymer” Taeyong murmured. Donghyuck nodded.

“I think we're looking at some sort of uniform. The button's three-eighths of an inch; it's from the cuff of a sleeve” he stated. Taeyong smirked; Donghyuck always did know his fashion.

“Traces of limonene” he murmured, looking at another result sheet that Donghyuck had handed him.

“Common ingredient in leaf-shining spray. Supposed to keep plants looking clean. Now, I checked Claudia Sanders' background” Donghyuck started, handing a third sheet to Taeyong, who looked it over.

“Claudia had MBA from the business school at UCONN” he read aloud, rather surprised. Donghyuck nodded before he smirked.

“Now here’s where things get interesting, dear: she took a job from Sunside Greenery this year; full time. They do horticultural design, plant care for office buildings” he explained, pointing to the client on the sheet. Taeyong let out a low growl as he read it.

“Grove-Turner Advertising. She took a job in Seaver's building to be near him” he snarled before he looked up at Donghyuck.

“Go back to Sunside Greenery and see what you can find out” he ordered, handing the result sheets back to him. Donghyuck nodded and took the sheets while Taeyong smiled at him.

“Nice going” he praised. Donghyuck smiled.

“Thank you” he replied before he turned and headed out to go to this Sunside Greenery.

~*~*~*~*~

At the main building, one of the security guards led Donghyuck down the hall until they reached the employee locker room. He then took Donghyuck over to Claudia’s locker and motioned to it.

“This is Claudia Sanders' locker right here” he declared. Donghyuck nodded.

“Thanks” he thanked.

“No problem” the security guard replied as he walked away, letting Donghyuck do his job. Donghyuck then took out a pair of gloves and slipped them on before he opened the locker, taking his flashlight out to get a better look inside. What he saw was a rather disturbing shrine to Jay, which just made him shudder.

“Aish…this girl’s got problems” he murmured before he reached inside and pulled out the leaf-shining spray that every employee used to spray the plants. He smirked before he shone his light in the locker once more and noticed a green uniform shirt. 

“Hmm” he hummed before he placed the flashlight in his mouth and reached out, undoing the folded sleeve to reveal a torn hole in the cuff where a button should be.

“Gotcha” he whispered. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Donghyuck told Taeyong what he discovered when he returned to the crime lab, Taeyong called Claudia in and had her sit in the interrogation room.

“The fibers and the button that we found in the elevator shaft are a match to the sleeve on your uniform, Claudia” he stated. Claudia looked at him in shock while Donghyuck just smirked.

“Trace amounts of limonene in the fibers also point towards you” he added.

“Which means we can place you in the elevator shaft with Patrick Wakefield” Taeyong declared. Claudia glared at him and Donghyuck.

“Patrick was no friend to Jay” she growled.

“Really?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What friend drinks Manhattans at Bistro Zinc two nights a week with the executive director behind your back, hmm? Jay's too trusting. He always has been” Claudia explained. 

“So you took care of it” Taeyong mused. Claudia blinked before she looked down, not looking him in the eyes.

“Claudia, you're under arrest for the murder of Patrick Wakefield. Now I want to talk about Katrina” Taeyong ordered. Claudia looked up at him, a smirk on her face.

“Why don't you direct all of your questions through my attorney. He's on his way over here” she stated. Donghyuck frowned and crossed his arms.

“The plant job pays you eight dollars an hour, and yet you can afford a defense attorney” he sneered.

“Jay hired him” Claudia declared proudly. Taeyong and Donghyuck frowned.

“Jay got you the attorney?” Taeyong asked. Claudia nodded.

“It's what a man does for the woman he loves” she replied. Taeyong sighed before he exited the interrogation room and headed to the other interrogation room where Jay was.

“Jay, tell me this is a joke” he ordered as he stepped inside.

“Maybe I'm crazy, but I feel sorry for her” Jay replied.

“So you hire her a private attorney” Taeyong growled.

“There's something wrong with this woman. She actually thinks she's helping me” Jay exclaimed. Taeyong shook his head.

“Jay, this is why she stalks you; you give her hope” he spat. Jay shrugged.

“I feel responsible” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Interesting choice of words” he mused before he turned and walked away, heading down to the morgue, where Taeil was standing next to Katrina’s autopsied body.

“Would you please take another look at Katrina here” he asked as he walked over to Taeil and Katrina. Taeil looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Anything specific you have in mind?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, hCG, please” he replied. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“You thinking inciting incident?” he asked. Taeyong sighed.

“Taeil, the boyfriend was on the corporate ladder and Katrina…Katrina may have been in his way” he explained. Taeil nodded.

“I'll get right on it” he declared. Taeyong nodded as well.

“Thank you” he thanked softly before he turned and headed out. After he left, Taeil grabbed a large syringe and stabbed it into Katrina’s abdomen, drawing out blood. He then took the blood and placed it into a test tube to run later.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the holding cell, Mr. Kim was waiting inside while Doyoung stood outside, staring at him for a moment before he took a deep breath and pushed open the door, walking inside.

“Doyoung” Mr. Kim breathed as he stood up and walked over to his son.

“We found a body on your route. Your tire treads were over it and the skull was crushed” Doyoung stated, crossing his arms.

“Oh, Lord” Mr. Kim breathed. Doyoung then shook his head.

“Father, now is the time. If you remember anything at all you've got to tell me” he begged. Mr. Kim shook his head.

“Everything in me wishes I did, but I don't” he replied, just as there was a quiet, yet firm, knock on the door.

“Come in” Doyoung ordered. Mark then entered the room and looked between the father and son.

“Sorry. Um, should I—?” he started when Doyoung shook his head.

“No, it's all right” he replied before he motioned to Mark.

“Father, this is Mark. He's going to process you. It's standard procedure” he explained as Mark handed over a white jumpsuit.

“You can change into these” he stated as he turned back to his kit. Mr. Kim took the offered jumpsuit and sighed, placing it down on his bench before he began to remove his jacket, only to hiss in pain.

“Ouch” he hissed. Doyoung and Mark looked at him in concern.

“What is it?” Doyoung asked, walking over to his father to see him holding out his left index finger that had a drop of blood on it. Mark frowned before he walked around Mr. Kim with an adhesive lift in his hand and quickly popped the man’s jacket collar, placing the adhesive side down on the fabric and running a careful hand over it before pulling away, closing it with the clear top. He then held it up so he could get a good look at it.

“Looks like glass. Tempered. Could be auto glass, but there's no membrane” he murmured.

“Then it's from a side window” Doyoung declared before he glared at Mark.

“You didn't tell me that there was any broken glass in the vehicle” he grumbled. Mark shot him a look.

“What I told you was, I wasn't finished” he snapped. Doyoung sighed.

“Right. Sorry” he apologized. Mark shook his head.

“It’s alright. But I’m going to go back to the car now and see if I can find any pieces of broken glass” he declared before he walked over to the bench and picked up his kit, heading out the door and back to the forensic garage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	6. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 6

When Mark reached the lab, he placed his kit down before he grabbed his flashlight and headed back over to the car, running his flashlight over it before he came to the driver’s side of the car. He looked inside before he opened the car door and leaned forward, pressing down the cushion on the driver’s seat with one hand while holding the flashlight with the other. In between the space where the seat cushion and the back cushion meet, he found bits and pieces of broken glass. Once he found the glass, he nodded and stepped back, closing the door before taking the flashlight and running it along the space where the driver’s side window should have been. When he couldn’t see anything, he took a tool and removed the driver’s side door, taking it over to a table to work on it better. He then took a screwdriver and undid the inside part of the car, moving it away so that he could get to the inner workings of the door. Once that part of the door was off, he removed the broken plastic part that kept the glass safe inside the door and put it aside before he took a pair of tweezers and began taking out the broken pieces of glass bit by bit. After he was done, he found a piece of something in the glass that didn’t quite fit, so as he held it up at eye-level, it finally dawned on him as to what had happened.

“Carjacking” he breathed.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in the Audio/Visual lab, Donghyuck was standing behind Yuta as Yuta showed him the photo of the posing couple.

“So this is the vacation shot that gives us something to work with?” Donghyuck asked. Yuta nodded.

“The tourist was taking a picture of this girl” he started as he enlarged the girl’s eyes before taking the pupil and moving it over into the software that reflected the image.

“So I'm enlarging the reflection in her eye. I'm going to slide the image over” he explained before the reflection was shown and he flipped it.

“There's our victim; upper right corner. Head's arched back. She was pushed from behind” Donghyuck declared.

“Can't see who's doing it. Just a shoulder” Yuta stated as he enlarged the image of the shoulder in the reflection. Donghyuck was quiet before he smirked.

“No, look at the shirt. That's the same color green as Claudia Sanders' work uniform” he explained before he clapped his hands.

“I'm going to check Katrina Hannagan's clothing for transfer” he declared before he gave Yuta a back hug.

“This is great. Thank you, hyung” he thanked as he turned away.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in Donghyuck’s lab, Donghyuck took Katrina’s bloodstained blouse and cut out a few pieces out. He then took a few fibers and placed them into a small container before filling it with solution. He then let the fibers soak in the solution for a little before he took a pipette and sucked out some of the solution and tested it, writing down the different chemicals found on shirt. He then took more fibers from another part of Katrina’s shirt, soaked it in solution, pipetted some of the solution and tested it before writing down that chemical on the diagram of the shirt. He then took the two vials and took them over to the centrifuge in his lab, placing them inside before pressing a few buttons to get it started. The vials then went through the machine and Donghyuck waited patiently for the result.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Taeyong was waiting for the results of the test he had ordered Taeil to do and the doctor did not disappoint as he came out to meet him.

“Ran the hCG Beta Blood test you asked for” he stated, handing him the results. Taeyong was quiet as he looked down at the results before his eyes widened.

“Katrina Hannagan was pregnant” he breathed. Taeil nodded.

“Hormone level was 90,000” he stated.

“How far along?” Taeyong asked.

“Seven, eight weeks” Taeil replied. Taeyong nodded and handed the results back to him.

“Okay, thank you” he thanked. Taeil nodded and took the results, heading back to the morgue to do some paperwork while Donghyuck came out of his lab.

“I got it, hyung! I found limonene on the back of Katrina Hannagan's blouse, just under the right shoulder blade. It means Claudia Sanders was behind her on the curb. Now we can link Claudia to the murder” he declared, showing the test results to Taeyong. Taeyong hummed as he looked them over before his eyes flashed dangerously.

“You know what else, Haechan? I don't think she acted alone” he growled.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Donghyuck, Taeyong went back up to the police department, where Jay was sitting at an empty desk, trying to make paper balls go into a wastebasket. He missed the first one, but the second he made without a problem.

“He shoots, he scores” Taeyong stated as he walked around to stand before Jay, who eyed him suspiciously.

“Jay, do you know what the number one cause death among pregnant women is?” he asked.

“No” Jay replied.

“It's homicide. Homicide at the hands of the father of the baby” Taeyong ground out. Jay frowned.

“Is this supposed to mean something to me?” he asked.

“It should, because Katrina was seven weeks pregnant at the time of her death. The medical examiner, Jay, has confirmed this” Taeyong declared, making Jay run a hand down his face. Taeyong then tilted his head at him.

“So how would you like to give me a sample of your DNA?” he asked. Jay shook his head.

“I really wouldn't” he replied.

“No, of course you wouldn't. Did you mention to Claudia that you're latest fling was pregnant, or did she figure that out on her own?” Taeyong demanded.

“I can't control what Claudia does” Jay exclaimed. Taeyong shook his head.

“On the contrary, my friend, you control everything Claudia does. She is a love obsessional, and you give her just enough attention to keep her interested. Pregnant girlfriend, office rival, who else, Jay, has Claudia killed for you?” he demanded. Jay shook his head.

“I am not going to dignify this” he declared. Taeyong growled as he slammed his hands down on the table, making Jay flinch and look at him in shock.

**“Oh, yes, you are. I am going to dig up every unsolved case in the last five months, and figure out what other problems Claudia has eliminated for you”** he growled before he turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	7. Case 1: Under the Influence - Part 7

“Picked a hell of a case to get your feet wet on, kid” Taeil stated to Mark as he stood before the new CSI down in the lab. He then held out his hand.

“Moon Taeil, M.E” he greeted, a small smile on his face. Mark smiled slightly in return and nodded as he shook Taeil’s hand.

“Mark Lee” he replied. Taeil nodded before he opened the file that he had in his hand.

“Finished the post on construction site victim. A “Travis Madison”. He definitely sustained extensive injuries when he was run over by that car. But he also suffered from blunt force trauma to the head” he explained, handing his report over to Mark, who looked it over before he looked up at Taeil.

“You got any tool marks?” he asked.

“Yeah, someone hit him with a cylindrical object; cracked his skull like an egg” Taeil replied. Mark frowned.

“What killed him, the vehicle, or the crack to the head?” he asked.

“Histopath says it was a head injury” Taeil replied. Mark was quiet before his eyes widened.

“He was already dead when Mr. Kim ran him over” he exclaimed. Taeil nodded.

“That's my determination” he agreed before he before he reached out and clapped Mark on the shoulder.

“Good luck” he bid before he turned and walked away, heading back to the morgue. After he left, Mark shook his head.

“That means I'm missing a murder weapon” he exclaimed. 

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Taeil, Mark headed back down to the scene where he found the body and began canvassing the area, searching through pieces of scrap metal, materials, and other items at the site. As he was searching, Doyoung walked onto the scene, making Mark look up at him.

“No hands” he assured as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked over to the young CSI.

“Find anything?” he asked. Mark nodded and stood to his feet.

“Almost” he replied as he pointed to the pair of shoe imprints in the sand.

“See the difference between the left shoe print and the right?” he asked. Doyoung titled his head to look at the shoe prints and nodded.

“Look at the pressure releases, the positioning. Whoever stood here planted his left foot, he put some weight on it—” Mark continued.

“And threw something” Doyoung deduced, a small smile on his face. Mark nodded and turned to see where the shoe prints were pointing to. 

“You can read the line of travel like an arrow” he mused. Doyoung nodded in agreement.

“Where you plant, you point” he agreed. Mark hummed before he walked over to his gym bag that he had brought along and grabbed a brown paper bag out of it, heading towards the large cylindrical pipes. Doyoung frowned as he followed after him, wondering where he was going.

“What are you doing? What's that noise? Is that what I think it is? Do you want to tell me what you're doing with that?” he asked, firing question after question at Mark, who just held up a hand.

“Don't come any closer” he ordered as he removed the content of the paper bag.

“What is that?” Doyoung demanded before he glanced over at the large pipe when there was hissing and clanking coming from it.

“Roast beef” Mark replied, just as alligator stuck it’s head out of the pipe.

“Call it cover fire” he continued, chucking the sandwich at the gator before he took off, leaving Doyoung alone with the gator.

“What are you doing?!” Doyoung exclaimed, quickly pulling his gun out of its holster and pointing it at gator.

“Mark!” he shouted but no one answered.

“Mark?” he called again, but still no answer.

“Mark!” he shouted for the third time, looking for his new friend as the gator continued to come closer to him until Mark appeared in the tunnel, holding up a piece of metal pipe with blood on it.

“Looking for this?” he asked. Doyoung gave him a look, making him smile.

“Took the back door” he continued. Doyoung shot him another look as he placed his gun back in its holster before he shook his head.

“That was cruel, Mark” he scolded. Mark just laughed.

“No, that was funny” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong stood behind Jaehyun as he was looking through the unsolved case listings.

“Unsolved homicides linked to Claudia Sanders” he declared. Jaehyun hummed.

“Solid alibis eliminate her from four of the five. This one is suspicious, though: Martin Perlman stabbed in Yadrioria Beach. One day after purchasing a new condo” he read aloud. This time, Taeyong was the one who hummed.

“Yes, but stabbings are so physical. Claudia's method is passive” he mused.

“This Yadrioria Beach address looks familiar” Jaehyun murmured as he looked at the address of where the stabbing had occurred. Taeyong looked at the address as well before he growled.

“It should. That is Jay Seaver's current address” he snarled. Jaehyun looked over at him with a raise eyebrow.

“He lives at the old crime scene? Let's get over there” he suggested. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, we're going to Claudia's. She's doing the dirty work” he declared before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Jaehyun’s hair.

“Thank you” he thanked before he turned and headed out, grabbing Donghyuck on the way out.

~*~*~*~*~

After Donghyuck and Taeyong left the crime lab, they headed to Claudia’s house, which thankfully was empty and had one police officer stationed inside, since it was under investigation. Taeyong and Donghyuck then split up, searching the house in different areas until Taeyong stumbled upon a very creepy shrine dedicated to Jay. He then turned to a decorative shelf and noticed a lot of paraphernalia in plastic bags, such as a card that had “For My Son” on it with a label on the bag that read “July 7.18. STILL MAMA’S BOY”. As he was looking at the different items she had collected, Donghyuck walked in from examining the other rooms, and walked over to him.

“Found something?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, take a look at this” he instructed as he motioned to the shelf.

“So our girl's been doing a little dumpster diving?” Donghyuck asked. Taeyong nodded as he held up a plastic bag that held a pregnancy test strip, which definitely had the markings labeled “pregnant”.

“Yes, this is how Claudia figured out Katrina was pregnant” he replied. Donghyuck hummed and turned away from his boss, searching one of the dresser drawers until he found something.

“Wait a second” he whispered to himself as he reached down into the second drawer of the dresser and pulled out a poorly wrapped object. He then opened the white paper that was wrapped around the object and found a bloody boxcutter.

“Hyung!” he called out, making Taeyong turn around and walk over to him.

“A box cutter” he mused.

“Another souvenir?” Donghyuck asked.

“Yes, but this one is not for display, Donghyuck. This is part of a cover-up. Martin Perlman was stabbed to death, wasn't he? Maybe with this” Taeyong replied before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“Get an evidence bag, would you?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded and snapped his fingers, summoning an evidence bag and handing it over to Taeyong.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked as he placed the box cutter inside the evidence bag and sealed it up.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, down in Mark’s lab, Mark and Doyoung were sitting side by side, both men waiting for results of the fingerprint that Mark had pulled off of the pipe. 

“You're crazy, you know that?” Doyoung asked as he looked at the computer screen. Mark looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Why? For taking a little initiative?” he asked, a little laugh in his voice. Doyoung smiled and shook his head.

“You could've been gator bait on your first day” he replied. 

“I did sacrifice my lunch. Please, just remember that” Mark quipped, making Doyoung chuckle. Just then, the computer beeped, showing that it had found a match to the print that Mark had run off of the metal pipe piece that he had found.

“Print on the murder weapon Larry Grill; just did time for assault and battery. Released last month” Mark read aloud. Doyoung let out a sigh of relief.

“Father’s out of the woods. My hand-off days are over” he declared as he reached out and grabbed a pen and a pad, writing down the suspect’s name. As he was writing the information down, Mark looked over at him and smiled slightly.

“I'm glad it turned out” he confessed. Doyoung stopped writing and looked over at the new CSI, smiling back.

“Thank you, Mark” he thanked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	8. Case 1: Under the Influence - CASE CLOSED

After discovering who their suspect was, Doyoung and Mark called Larry Grill in for questioning.

“Kill a guy? Nah. Uh-uh. No way” Larry declared. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“So your fingerprints just sort of floated on to the murder weapon?” he asked.

“Not only that, the blood on the receiving end matches Travis Madison” Doyoung stated as he slid a photo of the metal pipe with the blood on its end over to Larry so that he could see what he was talking about.

“The impression left on his skull matches the weapon” he continued, sliding another photo over, this time of Travis’ cracked skull.

“Blood, prints, tool marks. You killed him. Admit it” he ordered. Larry was quiet before he sighed.

“Travis told me to meet him. Said he might hook me up” he explained.

“I'm guessing you're not talking about women. About drugs?” Mark asked. Larry then leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table.

“Coke. It's a bad habit, I know. But his stuff was weak. I told him I wanted to get high, not bake a cake, but he just told me “you try it, you buy it”. I threw the bag back at him and he drew a gun on me. So I hit him over the head with the pipe. He would've done me first” he explained. 

“Instead, you killed him and tried to carjack someone to get away” Doyoung growled, anger pulsing through his body, all the way up to his hair.

“I hope they saved your cot at county jail” Mark murmured, looking at Larry with cold eyes, making the man shudder.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in Donghyuck’s lab, Taeyong and Donghyuck were standing side by side as Taeyong held open a case file.

“This is the Martin Perlman case file” he mused. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, homicide just sent it over. Place was cleaned up by the time P.D. got there and the murder weapon was never found” he explained as he slipped on a pair of gloves and took the box cutter out of the evidence bag, holding it up underneath the lighted-magnifying glass with one hand while picking up a box cutter knife tip with a pair of tweezers with the other.

“So that's the knife tip we recovered from the rib cage, right?” Taeyong asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“And the box cutter you found at Claudia Sanders' house” he replied as he placed the knife tip over where the broken tip should have been on the box cutter and smiled.

“Are you seeing this?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“We have a perfect match” he declared. Just then, a tall man height with light skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes walked over to the open sliding glass door, holding some sheets in his hand.

“Lieutenant” he called out. Taeyong looked up at him and nodded.

“Yes Winwin?” he asked. The young man, Dong Sicheng, held up the sheets.

“DNA's back on your weapon. Blood's from the victim, Perlman. Also found blood under the box cutter handle screws. Different donor and there's no match for it in CODIS” he replied. Taeyong hummed before a thought struck him.

“No match for CODIS? You know what, let's change that” he ordered before he turned and headed out of the lab, knowing exactly who to talk to.

~*~*~*~*~

Back up in the interrogation room, Jay sat before Taeyong, a little annoyed.

“That was the first time she took it upon herself to make someone in my life disappear” he snapped. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“First time being Martin Perlman?” he asked. Jay nodded.

“The guy who outbid me for my condo. Stabbed him to death” he replied. Taeyong hummed in understanding as he placed his hands on his hips.

“So this is Claudia then, Jay? This is all Claudia?” he asked. Jay nodded.

“Yeah. She called me the day they found his body. Told me the place was move-in ready. I was freaked, that she killed him, but I also have to admit, part of me was glad. I really wanted that condo” he admitted. Taeyong nodded.

“I can see that” he mused before he slid the photo of the box cutter over to Jay.

“Does this seem familiar to you?” he asked. Jay looked at the photo and frowned.

“No” he replied. Taeyong growled.

“Well, it should. You used it to stab Martin. You killed Martin, not Claudia. And I know this, Jay, because you cut yourself in the commission of the crime. So see, it's no longer about your word against that of an unbalanced woman. This is called evidence” he stated, pointing to the photo. Jay shook his head.

“She followed me everywhere. I knew when I looked up, she would be there” he exclaimed. Taeyong tsked and shook his head.

“Claudia has a defense. Claudia is insane” he explained before he looked at Jay, eyes glowing red.

 **“You are just a liar, and now a killer. For you, that adds up to lifetimes. One. Two. Three”** he growled, counting off the number of life sentences he would spend in jail on his fingers. He then looked up at one of the officers that were in the room and nodded.

“Take him away” he ordered. The officer nodded and walked over to Jay, yanking him to his feet and slapping some cuffs on him before leading him away.

~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening, Doyoung walked out of the crime lab after everyone else went home, and found his father waiting outside for him. When he walked over to him, his father looked up at him and smiled a relieved smile.

“Doyoung. Boy, I feel like I just got a get out of jail free card” he admitted. Doyoung shook his head.

“It's not free this time, Father. Gimme your car keys” he ordered. Mr. Kim frowned.

“My car keys? What for?” he asked. Doyoung sighed.

“Maybe I can't keep you from drinking, but I can keep you from driving” he stated, noticing Taeyong coming out of the crime lab out of the corner of his eye.

“I'll take you home, but I want to say good night to somebody first” he stated. Mr. Kim nodded.

“Sure” he agreed, turning and heading down to his car, which was parked outside of the crime lab. Doyoung then walked over to Taeyong, who smiled slightly.

“How we doing?” he asked.

“Better” Doyoung replied. Taeyong hummed.

“Better, but not great” he deduced. Doyoung nodded.

“No, not great” he agreed. Taeyong smiled and clapped a hand on Doyoung’s shoulder, making him look up at his boss and friend.

“You know, they say that one day at a time works both ways” he stated softly. Doyoung smiled slightly.

“I'll remember that” he assured. Taeyong nodded and took his hand off Doyoung’s shoulder. 

“Okay” he agreed before he crossed his arms.

“How did Mark do?” he asked. Doyoung smiled.

“Surprisingly well. But you knew that, didn't you?” he replied. Taeyong chuckled.

“It’s in his blood” he declared. Doyoung smiled and rolled his eyes before he turned and walked down the stairs towards his father, keys jingling in his hand.

“Good night” Taeyong bid. Doyoung just raised a hand goodbye, making Taeyong smile as he watched Doyoung and his father head towards the car.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	9. Case 2: Slow Burn - Part 1

It was a very warm morning as Donghyuck and Taeil drove out to a scene, which just happened to be in the middle of the Yadrioria Everglades, which just also happened to be on fire. When they got out of the car, they headed towards the trunk so that they could get their equipment. After they had gotten their equipment, they started to walk away from the car as one of the officers on scene walked up to them.

“Hey there” the officer greeted. Donghyuck and Taeil nodded in greeting.

“Hello. Dr. Moon Taeil, Detective Lee Donghyuck” Donghyuck introduced, motioning to Taeil before motioning to himself. The officer nodded and held out his hand, which Taeil and Donghyuck both shook.

“Vince Bell, National Park Services. Welcome to the glades” he greeted. Donghyuck huffed.

“Ash is pretty thick, Vince. Had to turn my wipers on a few times” he stated as he, Taeil, and Vince walked away from their car.

“Yeah, well, we're clearing out the underbrush” Vince explained.

“Who found our vic?” Taeil asked as he and Donghyuck followed after Vince.

“Firefighters. We think he's on a hunter. They were checking the firebreak. He's about 30 yards in” Vince replied, motioning to the glades. Donghyuck and Taeil blinked in surprise.

“In there?” Taeil asked. Vince smirked.

“Don't worry, it's safe. Fire's controlled” he assured.

“Any idea how he got there?” Donghyuck inquired.

“Well, we figure that's his campsite down the firebreak” Vince replied. Donghyuck nodded before he turned to look at Taeil.

“All right, we'll secure it, and we'll process here” he declared. Vince nodded as well.

“Sounds like a plan. Just, uh, watch for gators” he advised with a smile before he turned and walked off. Taeil glared after him.

“You ranger boys love scaring us sobe people, don't you?” he grumbled. Donghyuck chuckled before he patted Taeil on the shoulder.

“Everybody’s a comedic. Come on” he stated. Taeil nodded and they continued to walk through the glades until they came upon the body. Taeil quickly then placed his case down before he waved his hand, summoning a few tools before squatting down next to the body and examining it while Donghyuck summoned a camera and began taking pictures of the body.

“Our hunter had bad night” Taeil called out as he turned the victim’s head to the left to reveal a rather large gunshot wound to the neck.

“Gunshot…but no sign of a weapon” he murmured as he lifted his head and searched the surrounding area before looking back down at the victim and shaking his head.

“Probably killed during the night. Liver temp will tell us” he stated as he reached towards the man’s pockets, trying to search for anything that could tell them about who the victim was. While he was trying to check the temperature, Donghyuck looked at the surrounding area and hummed.

“Look at the drag marks, hyung. Somebody probably placed him here” he theorized. Taeil hummed at the theory as he pulled out a wallet and opened it.

“Jacob Harris, Iaswesia” he read aloud, looking at the man’s driver’s license before looking up at Donghyuck.

“Help me turn him over” he ordered. Donghyuck nodded and knelt down, grabbing the victim’s right arm and thigh before turning him on his side so that Taeil could look at the back.

“A lot of blood. This an arterial hit?” he asked. Taeil nodded as he felt the back of the man’s neck.

“Yeah, poor guy. Went in less than a minute” he declared before motioning for Donghyuck to gently put the body back down. Just then, birds suddenly took to the air not too far from them, grabbing Taeil’s attention.

“Those birds know something” he murmured before he looked over at Donghyuck, whose eyes were wide in fear. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked, confused. When Donghyuck didn’t respond, he frowned.

“Donghyuck?” he asked, trying to get an answer from the man.

“Hyung, don’t move” Donghyuck finally answered. Taeil raised an eyebrow but slowly turned around to try and see what was making Donghyuck so frightened and when he finally saw what it was, he understood. Not too far from them stood a Blue Mountain panther, a creature of blue and purple fur with glowing white eyes. The two men stared at the panther, Donghyuck slowly reaching for his gun that was in his holster, when the panther suddenly started padding away from them, fear rippling throughout its body. Taeil blinked at the oddity of it before he slowly stood up and turned towards Donghyuck, who also stood up as well.

“Get the car keys” he ordered. When Donghyuck didn’t move, Taeil glared at him.

“Donghyuck, get the keys” he snapped. When Donghyuck again didn’t respond and instead stared off into the distance, Taeil turned around once more to see that the fire was rising and heading straight towards them. His eyes widened, and he quickly turned back to face Donghyuck.

“Let's run!” he cried. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No time! We'll never make it!” he shouted back. Taeil then turned to look back at the oncoming fire and his eyes widened even more.

“Donghyuck!” he screamed as Donghyuck summoned a tarpaulin and held it out to him.

“Grab this!” Donghyuck shouted. Taeil nodded and quickly pulled the tarp over his head and dropped to the ground, Donghyuck following him, as the fire suddenly exploded around them. Taeil and Donghyuck remained absolutely still, panting hard as the fire continued to roar over them, eating away at the protective layer on the tarp before finally, after inhaling too much smoke, they finally passed out.

~*~*~*~*~

After what seemed like hours, Donghyuck and Taeil were pulled out of the area by a ranger team in a helicopter, bringing them back safely to where their car was. A group of rangers took Donghyuck and began to work on him while the others started working on Taeil. As they were working on him, Taeyong appeared before him and knelt down, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Taeil, you alright?” he asked, concern in his eyes. Taeil groaned and struggled to open his eyes as he stared at his boss.

“Taeyong?” he croaked. Taeyong smiled kindly at him.

“Hang on Taeil” he comforted before he turned to one of the paramedics and held out his hand, taking the eye drop solution from them. He then moved his hand from Taeil’s shoulder to the back of his head, lifting it slightly so that the man was looking up at him.

“Listen to me. Listen to me, it’s okay. I’m just going to wash your eyes out, okay?” he soothed as he placed one drop in each eye. He then smiled as he handed the bottle back to the ranger.

“There you go. That feel better?” he asked softly. Taeil reached up and clutched at Taeyong’s arm, eyes watery.

“I thought I was going to end up wearing a toe tag on my own table” he croaked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, you're not, you're going to be fine. Hang in there” he assured, giving Taeil’s shoulder a gentle squeeze with the other hand before standing up and walking away.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Donghyuck stood before Jaehyun, placing drops in his own eyes before rubbing them with the back of his hands.

“Donghyuck, the worst thing you can do is rub them” Jaehyun reminded kindly.

“Yeah, I know, but you know what, hyung? You get caught in a flash over and then tell me that, all right?” Donghyuck snapped, continuing to rub his eyes.

“I’m just saying” Jaehyun replied with a shake of his head, just Taeyong walked over.

“Jaehyun” he stated. Jaehyun looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm?” he replied.

“I'll take it from here, okay?” Taeyong stated. Jaehyun nodded and walked off while Taeyong took a step towards Donghyuck.

“How you doing?” he asked, voice gentle.

“I’m alright, hyung, it’s just…just, uh, doesn't make sense. I mean, we're supposed to be on the safe side of that break, and the fire just came out of nowhere” Donghyuck replied. Taeyong frowned as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Came out of nowhere” he repeated. Donghyuck nodded.

“It was like someone just turned it on” he replied. Taeyong was silent before he looked Donghyuck in the eye.

“You know what, Donghyuck? Maybe somebody did” he stated before he walked off. Donghyuck blinked before he shook his head and placed more drops in his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, after Donghyuck deemed himself fine, he grabbed Doyoung, who was on the scene along with the other detectives, and both of them headed over to the victim’s truck to examine it.

“This is the dead hunter's truck” Donghyuck stated. Doyoung looked around and nodded.

“Yeah, campsite” he agreed before he looked at the ground, which he noticed was littered with bullet casings.

“We got a bunch of 308s” he stated. Donghyuck noticed them too and his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“There's got to be close to a hundred rounds here” he declared. Doyoung was silent as he continued to study the crime scene before he crossed his arms.

“You know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking Jacob was a sneaky hunter. I think he sat out here all night and let the controlled burn do his work” he mused. Donghyuck hummed in agreement as he set his case down.

“Probably had a flashlight at the end of his rifle, spotted game running from the fire” he theorized. Doyoung nodded as he and Donghyuck began to walk around the site.

“A lot of beer cans for one guy. For three guys” he murmured. Donghyuck placed his hands on his hips.

“Means he had some friends” he stated. Doyoung nodded before he turned to look at Donghyuck.

“Hey, hunters have to register with park services, don't they?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, why?” he replied. 

“We should check and see if he came with anybody” Doyoung explained. Donghyuck nodded.

“That’s a good idea” he agreed before he motioned to the pick-up truck.

“I’ll go check out the truck” he declared. Doyoung nodded and knelt down to start messing with his kit while Donghyuck walked over to the truck and began to look in it when a dog suddenly appeared in the passenger side and began barking and growling at him.

“Ah!” he exclaimed, making Doyoung look up from his kit at him.

“You okay?” he asked. Donghyuck laughed and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just a dog” he called back. Doyoung chuckled and shook his head as he turned back to his kit when he noticed a bullet hole in the material of the folding chair.

“I’ve got a bullet hole” he called out, drawing Donghyuck’s attention as he reached into his kit and pulled out a cotton pad, walking over to the chair and swiping it on the material. He then knelt down and pulled out a spray bottle from his kit, spraying the pad once before he showed it to Donghyuck, who had appeared at his side.

“Gunshot residue” he declared before he looked back at the chair and knelt down next to it, studying the hole.

“Front to back in an upward trajectory” he stated. Donghyuck bent down to look at the hole as well before he stood up.

“Steep angle” he mused. Doyoung nodded.

“Just like the shot that killed our hunter” he agreed. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, a little farther away, Taeyong and Jaehyun were studying the fire and the area surrounding it. As Taeyong knelt down and placed his hand over the smoking underbrush, Jaehyun crossed his arms and shook his head.

“I thought this was a controlled burn. How'd it get itself over here?” he asked, looking down at the Deathless.

“It didn't. There's a second fire” Taeyong replied. Jaehyun’s eyes widened.

“The hell? Fire underground?” he exclaimed. Taeyong nodded.

“Right underneath the soil, right here, is a peat fire smoldering. That's what's burning” he explained before he stood to his feet.

“We need to find the point of origin” he declared. Jaehyun nodded and soon the two men were off, trying to figure out where the fire originated from.

“Look at this thing. It's like one long fuse” Jaehyun mumbled as he walked around the area, shaking his head.

“Fire could have traveled for hours underground” Taeyong added. Jaehyun hummed and continued to walk around before he stepped into a partly marshy part of the glades, making his foot sink into it.

“Oh!” he exclaimed before he pulled his foot out, shaking it off. Taeyong turned towards him and raised an eyebrow as a small smile quirked on his lips.

“Are you alright?” he asked. Jaehyun looked back at him and nodded.

“Yeah” he replied. Taeyong then shook his head, chuckling softly.

“No time for recreation, Jaehyun” he teased. Jaehyun huffed before he looked out over where he had just stepped.

“Explains why the fire didn't burn that way. It's all water from here on out” he declared. Taeyong was quiet for a moment before he noticed something white and smoldering on the ground.

“Look at this” he called out. Jaehyun turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“What do you got?” he asked. Taeyong motioned to the white and smoldering mound.

“It could be the source of our fire” he replied. Jaehyun knelt down and studied the mound before he tsked and stood back up.

“Roadside flare. Those babies burn at 4,000 degrees” he explained. Taeyong hummed as he crossed his arms.

“Right into the ground and right at our team” he muttered.

“Two reasons you start a fire: to destroy or to distract” Jaehyun stated. Taeyong looked up at him before looking out towards the marsh, noticing a body.

“Or maybe both; look at this” he called out as he walked towards the body, Jaehyun following behind.

“She's about 25” Jaehyun mused, eyeing the burnt body up and down.

“Yeah, that would be my guess” Taeyong agreed. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Twenty-five-year-old in a disco dress? Doesn't make any sense, she's all the way out here in the middle of the glades” he muttered. Taeyong hummed.

“She had to come from somewhere, didn't she?” he asked. Jaehyun looked over at him.

“Yeah” he replied.

“Let's get Mark and take a look around, alright?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Sure” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, down in the morgue, Taeil was looking over the body when Taeyong walked in.

“Our girl from the everglades” he mused. Taeil nodded.

“Going to take some time to ID her, her fingerprints got burnt in the fire. Got to use dental records” he explained.

“Okay” Taeyong agreed before he looked up at Taeil.

“How are you doing?” he asked. Taeil nodded.

“I’m fine. First time being caught in a flash back, however” he murmured. Taeyong frowned.

“Taeil, you don’t have to lie if you’re not okay” he reminded. Taeil shook his head.

“I’m fine, Taeyong” he assured. Taeyong frowned, not really believing him, but decided to not say anything as he looked down at the body.

“What do we have here?” he asked.

“Well, she was hit with an irregular object with some sort of pattern” Taeil replied, motioning to the left side of the woman’s head. Taeyong was quiet as he studied the body before placing his hands on his hips.

“Taeil, her skin is so badly burned…we’ll need to check the bone” he instructed. Taeil nodded.

“I’ll add that to my list” he replied.

“What do you think killed her? The fire?” Taeyong then asked. Taeil shook his head.

“No; blunt force trauma. Hinge fractures, injury to the front of the skull crushing the rear of the skull” he explained.

“Wasn't raped. But she has bite marks on her breasts” he stated as he pulled the tarp down slightly so that Taeyong could see what he was talking about. Taeyong hummed.

“The skin is definitely punctured, but there's so little detail, not enough for a mold” he mused. 

“That’s because he gnashed at her” Taeil explained. Taeyong then looked up into the fallen angel’s eyes.

“Taeil, we're talking about a sexual predator, aren't we?” he asked. Taeil looked back into Taeyong’s eyes and nodded.

“I’m afraid so” he answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	10. Case 2: Slow Burn - Part 2

Back at the glades, Jaehyun and Mark were walking down the dirt road as firefighters walked on the other side of them.

“So did you fall in?” Mark asked. Jaehyun huffed.

“As a matter of fact, I did” he replied. Mark shook his head.

“Well, you should wash up, hyung. There's a lot of microorganisms out here” he explained. Jaehyun shook his head.

“I'm fine” he replied. Mark then looked around at the road they were walking on.

“So is this the access road to Alligator alley?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yup, straight line through the glades” he replied. 

“What happened to all the gators?” Mark asked.

“Hunkered down in holes till the fire's done. Animals are smarter than humans” Jaehyun explained before he stopped and pointed to something in the dirt.

“Look here. Maybe this guy should have hidden his tracks” he mused as he looked at the tracks in the dirt. He then titled his head to study the tracks a little better.

“Looks like there's a U-turn here. Two sets of tracks” he declared. Mark tilted his head as well as he looked down at the tracks before he shook his head.

“There's three” he argued as he pointed to a pair of tracks.

“This one's compromised so it's no good” he started before he pointed to another set of tracks.

“—but this set here, it's low impact, it's the kind that's, uh, environmentally friendly” he explained.

“The kind that tree huggers use” Jaehyun inferred.

“Or rangers” Mark suggested. Jaehyun was quiet before he nodded.

“Yeah, Donghyuck said that ranger was a wise ass” he agreed before he motioned for Mark to follow him as they went to go look for Vince, first going to find Taeyong and bring him along.

~*~*~*~*~

“Man, I can't believe you guys are jamming me on this” Vince exclaimed once Mark and Jaehyun found him and explained their findings before asking if he had anything to do with the fire or the girl.

“Just answer the question, Vince” Jaehyun ordered.

“I didn't pull off Alligator alley and dump any girl” Vince exclaimed.

“We looked into your employment records” Taeyong stated calmly before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“Jaehyun” he ordered. Jaehyun nodded and showed Vince a case file.

“Shellie Dumont. Eight instances of sexual harassment and/or assault in the workplace” he stated. Vince shook his head.

“Assault. Man, I grabbed her a few times in the break room” he snapped.

“So, what, you grab a woman by the breast, squeeze it a little bit, no big deal?” Jaehyun sneered. Vince shook his head.

“Look, I used to see her, okay? She gets engaged, wants to pretend she's a virgin again and files a claim against me” he snarled.

“So then you're the victim?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn't touch your girl. And I didn't start any fires, okay? I'm innocent” he growled. Mark hummed before he looked down at Vince’s pants legs.

“What's going on with your cuffs, Vince, on your pants? They're singed” he observed. Vince looked down at them before he rolled his eyes.

“I kicked over a flare at a roadblock last night. I have witnesses, ask around” he snapped. Taeyong nodded.

“I'm going to do that, Vince” he assured before he turned and walked away, Mark and Jaehyun following after him. Vince watched them leave before he shook his head and turned away to go back to doing his job.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, down in the morgue, Taeil removed the sheet covering Jacob Harris so that Doyoung and another man, Jacob Harris’ friend Cliff Walters, could see it from the viewing room above the morgue.

“Mr. Walters?” Doyoung asked gently. Cliff nodded.

“That's Jacob. That's my buddy” he confirmed before he looked over at Doyoung.

“How does he look so good? You said he was in a fire” he stated. Doyoung sighed.

“My colleagues managed to protect his body under a fire blanket” he explained before he cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

“So I understand that the two of you got separated last night” he started. Cliff nodded.

“Yeah. I went looking for him, but I got lost. Don't know where my dog is either” he stated.

“Animal control’s got him. And we've got your truck” Doyoung assured. Cliff nodded at the good news while Doyoung studied his face.

“Your lip looks like it could use a little ice” he mused. Cliff glanced over at him before he shook his head.

“I'm okay. Just a little kickback” he explained. Doyoung frowned at him, not believing his lie.

“I understand there's a sticker on your truck that says you've been a competitive shooter for 14 years, and you didn't lean into your rifle recoil?” he asked, giving Cliff a look. Cliff sighed.

“All right. Me and Jacob, we got into a little a dustup over something stupid. Who's the best blind singer, Ronnie Milsap or Ray Charles?” he admitted. Doyoung hummed and thought about it.

“Well, Ronnie's got the range, but Ray's got the voice” he stated. Cliff nodded.

“I tried to tell him the same thing. But he took a swipe at me and next thing you know, bust lip” he explained. Doyoung nodded before he noticed something on Cliff’s vest.

“You've got a little blood on your vest” he observed. Cliff looked down before he shrugged.

“Oh, well, I must have got that when I was skinning them squirrels. Got me two of them last night” he explained. Doyoung hummed.

“You won't mind if I borrow your vest to verify that, would you?” he asked. Cliff shook his head and removed his vest, handing it over to Doyoung.

“Uh, no, no. I wouldn't mind that at all” he replied. Doyoung nodded and thanked him before she headed out of the viewing room and to Sicheng’s lab, where he handed him the vest. 

“You mind checking what kind of blood this is?” he asked. Sicheng looked up at him and shook his head.

“Nope. I’ll call you when I find something” he replied. Doyoung nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in the forensic garage, Donghyuck was examining the truck and more importantly, the gun that was stashed in there. He carefully slipped on latex gloves before he pulled out the gun and began examining it, pulling the bolt back so that he could see how many bullets had been shot from the gun before pointing the gun down to see if there was anything in the chamber. Once he had examined the gun, he stuck his head inside the truck and looked around before noticing that there was a little latch on the side of the back-seat cushion, which he found very strange. He then pulled on the latch and pulled the seat down, revealing a hidden compartment in which another rifle, which was wrapped in a towel, was stashed. He smirked and pulled out the gun, repeating the process that he had done on the first rifle.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sicheng called Doyoung into his lab to discuss the results.

“Had to call in a favor” Sicheng explained.

“Was there any of our victim's blood on the hunting vest?” Doyoung asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“Nope, and what he was telling you about skinning squirrels. It's not squirrel blood, either” he replied. Doyoung frowned.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Meow” Sicheng replied as he handed him his results. Doyoung looked at it before his eyes widened.

“Cat blood?” he exclaimed. Sicheng nodded.

“Ran it against known antibodies kept by fish and wildlife” he replied. Doyoung looked at the results and hummed.

 _“Blue Mountain panthers”_ he read aloud. Sicheng nodded again.

“Less than 50 left in the glades. Protected species” he explained. Doyoung was quiet as she processed everything that Sicheng just told him.

“So that means Cliff Walters and our victim were poaching. Still doesn't explain who killed our victim” he replied.

“Sorry” Sicheng apologized. Doyoung looked at him with wide eyes and shook his head.

“Don’t apologize, Sicheng. You helped shed light on a lie. That makes my job easier” he assured before he smiled at him and turned away, heading back to his own lab.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in Mark’s lab, he was going over the photos taken from the scene of the girl and of the tire impressions when Jaehyun walked in.

“Hey Mark” he greeted. Mark looked over at him and smiled slightly.

“Hi” he replied before he motioned to the photos.

“Looked closer at Bell’s tire tracks” he stated. Jaehyun placed his hands on his hips.

“They support the ranger's story?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Yeah, he was going at a consistent speed the whole time” he replied.

“Never stopped. Never had time to dump the body” Jaehyun inferred. Mark nodded before he pointed to one of the photos on the long illuminated table.

“Same can't be said about our second vehicle. It settled in the mud here” he stated.

“So, there's a chance he got out and dumped the body” Jaehyun mused. Mark nodded in agreement.

“Then accelerated away” he added.

“That’s the car we need to find” Jaehyun declared.

“Well, factoring in the wheelbase, we're looking for a late-model ford sedan with a distinctive wear pattern” Mark mused, pointing to a print that he had made of the impression.

“So we went from 5,000 possibilities to one” Jaehyun deadpanned. Mark nodded.

“Basically. We know what the tire looks like, just not the car” he explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“Maybe there's a cop who does” he murmured. Mark looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“How do you figure?” he asked.

“Route 141. Alligator alley dumps out into a speed trap” Jaehyun replied. Mark nodded slowly in understanding.

“Right. People driving through the glades lose track of how fast they're going” he exclaimed. 

“Staties pop them when they hit civilization” Jaehyun added.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	11. Case 2: Slow Burn - Part 3

“Interesting reading” Taeyong declared as he looked over at the man sitting across from him in the interrogation room.

“So I was speeding last night. Where do I pay the fine?” the man asked sarcastically, looking into Taeyong’s eyes. Taeyong shook his head.

“You’re such a kidder, Martin” he murmured as he opened the file that Jaehyun had given him before he went into the interrogation room and pulled out a picture of the burnt body that was found at the scene, sliding it over to the man, Martin Nelson.

“We found tire tracks from your car near this lady’s body” he explained. Martin looked at the picture and shook his head.

“Mm…never seen her before” he replied.

“Is there any reason that you were on the access road to Cosmos Alley last night?” Taeyong asked, placing his hands on his hips.

“I pull over all the time in the glades. Nature calls” Martin replied calmly. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t to…dump a body and set a fire to disguise the situation, was it?” he asked. Martin shook his head again.

“No” he replied as the door to the interrogation room opened and Mark walked in, pushing a cart with a machine, computer, and wires on it.

“Mark, welcome” Taeyong greeted as Mark pushed the cart over to where Martin was sitting.

“What the hell is that?” Martin demanded.

“It’s a z-nose. It picks up the scent of fire. Potassium, sulfur” Mark explained as he picked up the machine and scanned Martin’s clothes with it before he looked down at the man’s hands.

“Lift up your hands” he ordered. Martin sighed before he lifted up his hands, allowing Mark to scan them before turning to the computer and pressing the “enter key”, watching as the computer analyzed the data. When the results were in, he sighed and turned towards Taeyong.

“It’s negative” he declared. Martin smirked.

“Told you. I was nowhere near that girl” he sneered. Taeyong narrowed his eyes at his tone before he looked over at Mark.

“Do we have his car?” he asked. Mark shook his head before he smirked.

“No, but we can get it” he replied. Taeyong smiled and nodded his head before he looked over at Martin, who looked a little shocked.

“Okay, let’s do that” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

After they had gotten a hold of Martin’s car, Mark and Jaehyun began to examine it.

“Big dents. You don’t need a microscope to see these” Jaehyun murmured as he ran his flashlights over the body of the car.

“Golf club maybe?” Mark suggested. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe” he agreed. Mark then bent down and began to examine the interior of the car before noticing a single hair on the passenger side seat cushion. Jaehyun noticed it as well.

“Blonde hair?” he asked. Mark nodded as he removed his head and stood up.

“Yeah, it looks like the same length from our girl in the everglades. If it’s got a follicular tag, I can get a match” he muttered. Jaehyun hummed as he continued to search the car, noticing something in the back seat of the car.

“Hair might not be the only thing she left behind” he declared as he opened the back door and reached inside, pulling out what looked like a credit card.

“High Roller Club. Hannah Carroll” he read aloud. Mark was taking pictures of the hair on the seat cushion when he stood up out of the car and raised an eyebrow at Jaehyun.

“Did you say, uh, High Roller Club?” he asked. Jaehyun looked over at him and nodded.

“Yeah, it’s a frequent flyer card for gamblers” he replied. Mark hummed and crossed her arms.

“The only place they gamble in the everglades is the Drule” he murmured. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yeah, the Drule got a license to run a casino on their land. Edge of the glades” he explained as he slammed the back car door shut. As Mark continued to take pictures, Jaehyun began to pace around the garage, thinking out loud.

“So Hannah Carroll left there with this Nelson character, he drove her out to the glades, he jumped her in the car, and in the struggle…” he mused before looking over at Mark, who nodded.

“We need to tell Taeyong” he concluded. The two men then nodded, exiting the garage before heading to the interrogation room, much to the surprise of Taeyong and Martin.

“Mark, Jaehyun. What did you find?” Taeyong asked. Mark then walked over to him and whispered into his ear the evidence that they had found. Taeyong hummed before he turned to look at Martin.

“This places Hannah Carroll in your car” he declared as Jaehyun waved his hand and slid an enlarged picture of the card that he had found in the backseat over to the man. Martin shook his head.

“Don’t know a Hannah Carroll” he grumbled. Mark hummed and placed her hands on his hips.

“Fine. Then explain how these blonde hairs got in your car. Pulled hairs” he demanded, waving his hand to summon an enlarged picture of the blonde hairs that he found in the passenger seat. He then slid them over to Martin, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well?” he growled. Martin shrugged his shoulders, not answering.

“DNA says they match our dead girl” Jaehyun stated. Martin remained silent before he sighed.

“Well, I did pick up a hitchhiker. She was blonde” he admitted. Mark and Jaehyun looked at one another.

_“_ _She was blonde”_ Mark repeated sarcastically.

“You know, Martin, I bet that you pick up a lot of hitchhikers, don’t you?” Taeyong asked calmly. Martin chuckled and shook his head.

“Oh, she was drunk, horny. You know, we had some fun” he explained. 

“Yeah, some fun. You mean you sexually assaulted her” Mark spat. Martin raised his hands in surrender.

“Hey, she came onto me” he exclaimed. Taeyong frowned and crossed his arms.

“You work the graveyard shift?” he asked. Martin shook his head.

“No. 10-6” he replied. Taeyong gritted his teeth.

“Here’s why I ask: I had my detectives take a deeper look into your driving record and you have _numerous_ tickets, all in the everglades, all at night” he stated pointedly. Martin shrugged his shoulders.

“I have trouble sleeping” he replied.

“You get in your car, you drive out to the everglades, looking for desperate young woman who have been busted out from the casino and have nowhere else to go” Taeyong snarled. Martin rolled his eyes.

“I did her a favor, okay? She needed a ride” he snapped. Taeyong hummed before he slowly walked around the table and sat beside Martin, looking down at him. Mark and Jaehyun looked at one another, confused and not sure what to expect.

“Hey, Martin? Martin? Are you a sexual predator?” Taeyong asked calmly. Martin gritted his teeth, avoiding eye contact with him.

“She was into it, okay? And she was alive where I left her” he grumbled. Taeyong nodded, finally getting the truth out of the man.

“Where was that?” he asked.

“Side of the road. Before this guy tried to kill me” Martin replied.

“Which guy?” Taeyong asked calmly.

“Some guy. Just come hauling ass out of nowhere, carrying a bat. Starts screaming _“Didn't take you long, did it, bitch? I'm going to give you till three to get out of that car”_ and every time he counted off a number, he would bang my car. She goes high-tailing it into the glades, and that's the last time I saw either of them” Martin explained. 

“So, you're saying that you left her alone running for her life?” Taeyong growled.

“Yeah” Martin answered, nodding. Taeyong huffed before looking over at Mark and Jaehyun.

“And they say that chivalry is dead. Mark, Jaehyun?” he called out as he stood up and walked out of the room. Jaehyun and Mark threw one more glance at Martin before they followed Taeyong out into the hall.

“So what do you think? Is he a coward or a killer?” Jaehyun asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“I don’t know yet” he replied before he looked over at Mark.

“Come Mark” he ordered, motioning for the young man to follow him as he headed out of the crime lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	12. Case 2: Slow Burn - Part 4

After Mark and Taeyong left the crime lab, they headed to the High Roller Club and when they arrived, they walked over to the bouncer.

“Arthur? We spoke on the phone” Taeyong stated as he and Mark stood before the man.

“Did you bring the betting card?” the bouncer, Arthur White, asked.

“Yes” Mark replied as he handed the card over to the man. When Arthur took it, he looked down at it and frowned, feeling residue on his fingers.

“We had to print that. It's evidence” Mark explained. Arthur was quiet before he took out his card machine and swiped the card, looking at the screen.

“Hannah Carroll's a registered guest here. Checked in with a Brett Talbot. She hasn't used the card since yesterday” he stated, looking up at Mark and Taeyong.

“You remember Hannah?” Taeyong asked.

“It's real high turnover here. I mean, it's 90% capacity” Arthur replied, motioning to the casino before he looked down at his card machine.

“His card's still active” he stated. 

“Can you point him out?” Taeyong asked. Arthur gave him a look.

“Lieutenant, people come here to get lost” he replied. Mark then took a step forward and looked down at the card machine in Arthur’s hand.

“Alright, table 23” he declared.

“Table 23” Taeyong replied while Mark looked over at Arthur.

“Thanks for your cooperation” he thanked sarcastically before he and Taeyong headed off to table 23.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hey, Brett?” Taeyong called out as they stood next to a man in a silver silk top.

“Brett Talbot?” Taeyong called again. The man held up a hand, silencing them.

“Hold on” he ordered before he looked at the card dealer.

“Hit me” he commanded. The man nodded and began to deal the cards and while he was dealing the cards, Taeyong and Mark studied Brett, noticing that there were some cuts and dirt on the back of his left ear.

“Twenty-two” the card dealer declared. Brett sighed before he spun around in his chair and faced Mark and Taeyong.

“When was the last time you saw Hannah Carroll, Brett?” Taeyong asked.

“Hannah and I had an argument” Brett answered.

“Well, we have reason to believe that it was more than an argument” Mark stated. Brett chuckled.

“Well, Hannah and I fight hard, then we make up. Juices up the sex” he explained.

“Sir, are you in?” the card dealer asked.

“He’s cashing out” Taeyong answered. Brett’s eyes widened.

“I'm on a roll here. And besides, it's early. Hannah'll be back. She always comes back” he assured, turning to face the table once more.

“Not this time, Brett” Taeyong stated. Brett turned and blinked in shock before he looked up at the two detectives.

“Can I take my chips?” he asked softly. Taeyong nodded.

“Take your chips” he ordered before looking up at the card dealer.

“Thank you” he thanked before he, Mark, and Brett turned away from the table and began walking.

“Just 'cause we had an argument doesn't mean I took her into the glades and killed her” Brett grumbled as they walked.

“Well, somebody did, didn't they? When was the last time you were out there?” Taeyong asked, stopping in his tracks to turn and face the man.

“About five years ago. Gators, bugs, you can have it. Place gives me the creeps” Brett answered, shuddering. Taeyong hummed as he pointed to Brett’s ear.

“What's that behind your ear?” he asked. Brett frowned and reached up, wiping off the backs of his ears before he shook his head.

“I don't know what the hell it is” he answered. Mark hummed and crossed his arms.

“Well, it looks like, uh, amoebae and algae. Could be N. Fowleri, but I hope for your sake, it's not 'cause that stuff could kill you” he stated. Brett sighed, annoyed.

“All right, look. We had an argument here in the casino. She was trying to tell me how to bet. She took off, went down the road, flagged some guy down. She was trying to make me jealous” he explained. Taeyong placed his hands on his hips.

“And you followed her, right?” he asked. Brett scoffed.

“Well, they weren't hard to find. There's not much between here and there. I saw a car parked down the access road” he explained before he shrugged.

“She ran off and the guy took a u-ey out of there” he added. Taeyong hummed.

“You chased her into the glades, didn't you?” he asked. Brett nodded.

“Yeah, but not very far. It was dark, I couldn't see, I fell. That was enough for me” he answered. Mark growled, eyes flashing purple.

“So, you were going to just let her walk all the way back to the casino?” he snarled. Brett nodded.

“I was trying to teach her a lesson” he explained. 

“How powerful, Brett. I'm going to need your clothes from that night” Taeyong stated. Brett shook his head.

“I already sent them to the hotel laundry” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“Fair enough” he agreed before he looked over at Mark.

“I'll get them” Mark promised before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, in the lab, Donghyuck was looking at the different models of the guns registered to Harris and Walters before looking down at the pictures of Harris’ dead body and the gunshot wound that killed him. After he had looked at those, he went to the gun range and tested both guns, firing the bullets into a metal box. Once the bullet was lodged in the box, he walked into the area where the box was and pulled out the bullet, testing them underneath the microscope to the shells that he found at the crime scene.

“I heard you found our hunter’s rifle in Walters’ truck” Doyoung called out as he walked into Donghyuck’s lab. Donghyuck looked up at him and smirked before holding up a bullet shell.

“And this bullet, pulled from our hunter’s body, came from his own gun” he stated. Doyoung frowned.

“Suicide? I don’t buy it. Why wouldn’t Walters just tell us that his friend killed himself?” he asked. Donghyuck sighed.

“Some insurance policies, hyung, don’t pay on suicides” he explained. Doyoung hummed before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Did you confirm from GSR that the gun discharged at close range?” he asked. Donghyuck huffed.

“That was next; there was no gunpowder residue” he explained before he looked at Doyoung.

“What about the wound?” he asked.

“Taeil said that there wasn’t any gunpowder stippling and there’s a ragged entry. He thinks that the rifle was far away when the bullet was discharged” Doyoung replied.

“What do you think? Ten feet? Thirty feet?” Donghyuck asked. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't know, it's too hard to pinpoint, but either way, it was too far for a suicide” he stated before he crossed his arms.

“I don't care what rifle was used; Jacob Harris was murdered” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“I ain't no murderer” Cliff Walters argued as he sat before Donghyuck and Doyoung.

“But you are a poacher. You and our victim were out hunting Blue Mountain panthers and the proof is on your vest” Doyoung stated as he summoned a file full of pictures of dead Blue Mountain panthers, sliding one of the pictures towards Cliff.

“The two of you sat there waiting for the fire to burn them out. That’s not hunting, buddy, that’s torture” Donghyuck stated calmly but Doyoung could tell from the edge in his voice that the archdemon was angry.

“Look, I didn't want to do it. That's what the argument was really about” Cliff explained. When Donghyuck and Doyoung gave him a look, Cliff threw his hands up in the air.

“Look, I left Jacob there shooting, and the next thing I know, he turns up dead” he exclaimed. 

“Except we found Jacob's rifle in your pickup” Doyoung stated. Cliff looked at him for a moment before he looked away. Doyoung sighed.

“Look, was it an accident? Did you fall out of the chair and his gun went off?” he asked as Donghyuck crossed his arms on the table and looked at Cliff with calm brown eyes.

“Look, Mr. Walters, either you did it or you’re covering for someone who did” he stated. Cliff looked up at him and Donghyuck sighed, pulling another file out of thin air.

“Okay, that's fine. We have a list of your past hunting buddies from parks' register. Nick Grande? Harry Lindloff? Brad Ritchie? Chick Fletcher? Mr. Walters?” he asked, looking up from the file at the man before him. Cliff shook his head.

“I am not the kind of man who turns in his friends” he stated. Doyoung crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“Sir, we are going to figure this out with or without your help” he declared. Cliff looked over at him and Doyoung gave him a look, silently telling him that he meant business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	13. Case 2: Slow Burn - Part 5

Up in the police department, Taeyong stood behind Jaehyun at his desk when his phone suddenly rang.

“Mark” Taeyong answered.

_“Hey. Found Brett’s pants. They’re cleaned, pressed, and singed”_ Mark replied on the other line. 

“Good to know. Thank you” Taeyong thanked, hanging up before looking over at the interrogation room, where Brett was sitting, rather annoyed.

“Do we…do we have any 32’s in the system?” he asked aloud, making Jaehyun spin around in his chair to face him.

“Oh, yeah. Four domestic disturbance calls on Brett and Hannah in the last 18 months alone. All called in by neighbors” he replied.

“So she couldn't speak up for herself then” Taeyong mused.

“Or run away, until last night. ER records from Cluiso Grove are on their way over. Hannah sustained black eyes, cut lip, one broken arm. And that's just on her last trip to the ER” Jaehyun stated. 

“Well, he said the glades made him nervous. Let's see how much” Taeyong declared. Jaehyun nodded and quickly stood up from his desk, following Taeyong over to the interrogation room to pick up Brett before taking him out to the glades.

~*~*~*~*~

“I told you, she ran into the glades” Brett grumbled after Taeyong had snapped his fingers, transporting all of them to the everglades.

“But you haven't told us how you started the fire, Brett” Jaehyun stated, crossing his arms and staring at the man.

“You still had those singe marks on your pants, and as we know, those don't come out in the wash, do they?” Taeyong asked, raising a knowing eyebrow at Brett. Brett sighed.

“Okay. When Hannah ran into the glades, I couldn't see. I grabbed a flare from my trunk. She didn't answer me. I tripped, dropped the flare. Sparks started flying, I couldn't find her, I just got out of there. I would never hurt her intentionally” he assured. Taeyong and Jaehyun sighed before Taeyong put his hands on his hips.

“Brett, let me ask you a question: when was the last time you put Hannah in the hospital?” he asked calmly. Brett refused to answer.

“Brett, come on. Black eyes, broken arms…you are a classic abuser, my friend” Taeyong declared, narrowing his eyes at the man. Brett looked away from him, but he had just the smallest sliver of a smirk on his face and both Jaehyun and Taeyong could see it.

“You killed her, didn't you, Brett?” Jaehyun asked. Brett’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

“I didn't kill her” he exclaimed. Taeyong nodded calmly.

“Yes, you did” he stated. Brett growled as he stared at the lieutenant and sergeant.

“No!” he shouted. Jaehyun sighed as he waved his hand and summoned the picture of Hannah’s burnt dead body, holding out in front of Brett’s face.

“She got like that on her own, did she, Sparky?” he sneered. Brett frowned as he studied the photo.

“That's not Hannah” he declared. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked. Brett glared at Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“I don't know who it is, but that's not Hannah” he snapped. Taeyong then walked over to Brett and gripped the man’s face in his hand, forcing him to look into the man’s cold brown eyes.

“Let me give you a little heads up. It’s not a good idea to lie to me, okay?” he snarled. Brett’s eyes widened before he shook himself of Taeyong’s grip and crossed his arms.

“Well, you suit yourself guys, but that's not Hannah” he growled. Taeyong sighed as he put his hands on his hips again before looking over at Jaehyun and motioning for him to follow before he looked at Brett and narrowed his eyes.

“Stay. Or I **will** Hunt. You. Down” he growled, murder lacing his tone. Brett nodded, more afraid of Taeyong than anything else. Taeyong and Jaehyun then walked away so that they were out of Brett’s earshot before they began discussing anything.

“He could be lying” Jaehyun suggested. Taeyong shook his head.

“It's hard to go far on limited information, Jaehyun” he reminded gently. Jaehyun sighed.

“Don't take a bullet for me, Taeyong. I'm the one that assumed that gambling card belonged to our vic” he grumbled. Taeyong hummed and crossed his arms, thinking.

“Okay, so let’s go back to what we do know” he ordered.

“Well, all we know for certain is the hair we found in Martin Nelson’s car came from our vic. DNA made the match” Jaehyun replied.

“Okay, So, the question becomes, who is our victim?” Taeyong questioned aloud.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, down in the morgue, Taeil was working on “Hannah’s” body, careful cutting away at the burned skin that had some sort of pattern in it with a scalpel. Once he had removed that piece of skin, he took an electric bone saw and carefully cut a hole in “Hannah’s” scalp, extracting the piece of bone that had the pattern embedded into it. He then dipped it in water, cleaning it of the blood, before holding it up to the light to examine the pattern.

~*~*~*~*~

After they came back from the everglades, down in the garage, Taeyong decided to take a look at the car himself. He slipped on latex gloves, put on glasses, pulled a flashlight out of thin air, clicked it on, then began to examine the interior of the car. As he examined it, he summoned a small black bottle full of Luminol that would glow blue on contact of any sort of blood and sprayed it on the passenger side of Martin’s car, finding nothing. He frowned and pulled his head out of the car, standing up as he slammed the door shut. He then moved on to examining the outside of the car, spraying Luminol on the passenger side door, getting lucky when a part of the car underneath the window glowed blue.

“So, Martin wants his car back” Jaehyun stated as he walked into the garage. Taeyong huffed as he knelt beside the passenger side door.

“I bet he does. Take a look at this” he commanded, motioning for the Sentinel to look at what he discovered. When Jaehyun saw the blue splatter on the car door, his eyes widened.

“Whoever she is, she almost got away, didn’t she?” Taeyong murmured as he stared at the car door as well. Jaehyun shook his head, bringing himself back to reality before he looked down at Taeyong.

“Taeyong, she was beaten near Martin's car. That's not proof he did it” he reminded. Taeyong hummed as he stood to his feet.

“Puts old Martin on a very short list, doesn't it?” he asked as his phone began to ring. He then pulled it out and swiped it open, answering it.

“Taeil?” he answered. When the man told him what he had found, he nodded.

“Okay, I'll be right there” he replied before he hung up, looking over at Jaehyun.

“We have an ID on the girl” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the gun range, Donghyuck was looking over the rifles when he noticed that there were claw marks on the stock of one of the rifles. He snarled.

“Pattern marks on stock. I do not know how I could have missed that” he grumbled to himself.

“I do” a voice called out. Donghyuck looked up to see Sicheng walking towards him, a small smile on his face.

“Oh? And what do you know, hyung?” he asked, placing the rifle down. Sicheng shook his head.

“Your eyes. You may be supernatural, and your healing is remarkable, but still, the flash burned your eyes pretty bad and it didn’t help that you were rubbing them” he explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“How did you know I was rubbing them?” he asked. Sicheng shrugged.

“Sources. Also, Jaehyun kept grumbling about how you shouldn’t have been rubbing them at the crime scene” he answered. Donghyuck blinked before he sighed.

“I am fine, hyung, really” he assured. Sicheng scoffed.

“You’re not fine, Donghyuck. If your vision starts to affect your work, you’re not fine” he grumbled before he held out a small bottle of what looked like eye drops. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“What is that?” he asked. Sicheng smiled brightly.

“Eye drops. Specially formulated by me for supernatural beings. You and Taeil were using the human stuff to wash out your eyes and while it helped a little, it didn’t help a lot. So, I made this to completely clear and heal your eyes” he explained. Donghyuck stared at him for a moment before he took the bottle and dropped a small bit of the solution into his eyes, blinking once to make sure that the solution covered his entire eye.

“Don’t rub” Sicheng ordered. Donghyuck nodded and after what seemed like a second, everything was as clear as day, almost as if the flash had never happened. He never realized how badly his eyes were still damaged. He then looked over at Sicheng and smiled gratefully.

“Thanks hyung” he thanked. Sicheng smiled before he looked at the gun.

“So, what have we got?” he asked. Donghyuck shook his head and placed his hands on his hips.

“Well, the suspect is still in custody, but just not the right suspect” he explained. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“So, what are you saying? That I was right? I mean, the Blue Mountain panther did it?” he asked. Donghyuck looked at him in shock.

“How did you—” he started.

“Looked over the case file before I walked in here. Can’t be walking in here blind, now can I?” Sicheng teased. Donghyuck chuckled and shook his head before he sighed.

“Well, it's the right church, but the wrong pew” he explained before he crossed his arms.

“I’m sure you read in file that Mr. Walter’s dog got very excited, right?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah, Doyoung reported that the dog was barking like crazy” he remembered. Donghyuck nodded.

“And when he and Jacob were arguing, the dog ran around and around? The rifle was propped up against the chair” he explained. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“And dog shoots man” he exclaimed. Donghyuck nodded.

“We need to call Mr. Walters in for another set of questions” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

“Mr. Walters, why did you not just tell us the truth?” Sicheng asked as he and Donghyuck sat next to the man in the interrogation room. Cliff sighed.

“I was afraid you'd put him down. Poor old Shula, he felt terrible. Went over to Jacob and tried to wake him up” he explained before he looked over at Sicheng.

“Can I take him home with me now?” he asked.

“I'm afraid not yet, Mr. Walters. Animal control is going to want to hold onto him for another day or two. Red tape” Donghyuck explained. Cliff sighed as he looked over at him.

“Probably thinks he's getting punished” he murmured. Sicheng looked at Cliff before looking over at Donghyuck.

“Well, um I'll catch you later” he murmured. Donghyuck nodded and Sicheng stood up, silently slipping away as Donghyuck looked back at Cliff.

“Do you want to call a family member? You can use my phone” he offered. Cliff looked over at him and shook his head.

“Shula is my family. You probably think I'm crazy, don't you?” he asked. Donghyuck chuckled and shook his head.

“No. I would never underestimate the love of a man for his dog” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	14. Case 2: Slow Burn - CASE CLOSED

“So, who is she, Taeil?” Taeyong asked as he walked into the morgue and over to where Taeil was standing by the body. Taeil hummed as he waved his hand and pulled a file out of thin air, opening it to look at the papers inside.

“Her dental records say she’s Ariella Maria Williams. Got a Nosta address. We ran her DNA through CODIS. She was in missing persons three years ago” he replied, handing the file to Taeyong when he was done reading it.

“Missing persons…missing persons…so, somebody cared enough to put her in the database, didn’t they?” Taeyong asked as he looked over the file before looking down at the body.

“God’s forgotten children?” Taeil replied softly. Taeyong hummed before he went back to looking through the file, stumbling across the piece of skull that Taeil had cut out that had the pattern embedded in it.

“Taeil, what is this mark?” he asked, showing the picture to Taeil. Taeil looked at the picture before he looked at Taeyong.

“Oh, the blunt force trauma?” he asked before he sighed.

“It took some getting and it’s not complete, but the killer was wearing brass knuckles or some kind of ring” he explained. Taeyong was quiet for a moment before he handed the file back to the fallen angel.

“Come with me” he ordered. Taeil raised an eyebrow before he pushed Ariella’s body back into the locker and shut it, following after his boss once the door was closed.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong and Taeil then walked up to the interrogation room where Martin Nelson was sitting, fiddling with large ring on his right middle finger.

“Why do you want my ring?” Martin asked after Taeyong told him that they needed it. Taeyong placed his hands on his hips.

“That ring could help eliminate you as a suspect” he stated. Martin was quiet before he slipped off his ring and placed it before the two men. Taeil then slipped on gloves before picking up the ring, examining it.

“Or the imprint from your ring could prove that you killed Ariella Williams” he declared. Martin’s eyes widened.

“What?!” he exclaimed. Taeil nodded as he summoned his file on Ariella and pulled out the picture he had taken of the skull with the same matching imprint that was on Martin’s ring, showing it to him.

“You see, Martin, I believe that you hit Ariella in the head with that ring. You continued to hit her until her head was crushed on the ground, which killed her. And then, after she was dead, you dragged her into the everglades and left her for the alligators. Sound familiar?” Taeyong asked with cold certainty. Martin didn’t respond, making Taeyong annoyed.

“Martin, the problem with sexual predators is that they don't get satisfied by the kill; they get turned on by it. So, true to your species, you went back to the casino, accidentally running into Hannah Carroll, who was attempting to escape from her abusive boyfriend” he continued. Taeil snickered.

“The difference, Martin, between Ariella and Hannah, is Hannah outwitted you and escaped. She got away, didn't she?” he purred, leering in the man’s face. Martin glared up at the man and was about to take a swing at him when Taeil caught his wrist, twisting it away sharply, bending his arm at an awkward angle.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you” he warned quietly, eyes flashing black. Martin sighed before looking up at Taeyong.

“Can I get my ring back?” he asked. Taeyong looked at him calmly.

“Sure, Martin. You're going to get your ring back. In about 75 years” he growled. Martin was quiet before he slowly nodded, accepting his punishment. Taeyong then looked over at Taeil and motioned for him to follow as he exited the room. Once they were outside, Taeyong ordered the policemen that was with Martin to take him away. The man nodded and walked into the room, cuffing Martin’s hands behind his back before dragging him out of the room and to the squad car that was waiting outside. He then walked back inside and had Taeyong signed papers before leaving to take Martin to prison. Once he was gone, Taeyong looked over at Taeil.

“Thank you Taeil” he thanked. The fallen angel smiled and nodded before he turned and walked down the hallway, heading back to his office so that he could finish the autopsy reports. After he left, a pretty brunette ran up to Taeyong, almost out of breath.

“Excuse me? Where do I go to see someone who's been arrested?” she asked. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“I'm sorry?” he asked.

“I’m looking for a friend of mine who's been arrested, Brett Talbot” the girl explained. Taeyong’s eyes widened in realization.

“You’re Hannah” he deduced. The girl nodded.

“Yeah. How'd you know?” she asked. Taeyong sighed.

“Hannah, Brett's been arrested for starting that fire. And this is your opportunity to get away from him” he explained. Hannah shook her head.

“Wherever I go, he'll just find me” she explained. Taeyong shook his head.

“That is not true” he argued. Hannah smiled weakly.

“He really does love me, you know” she stated. Taeyong narrowed his eyes.

“Brett does not love you” he growled. Hannah shook her head.

“If he hadn't come after me, I'd be dead by now” she argued.

“Hannah—” Taeyong started.

“Look, I can't talk about this right now. Where is he?” Hannah interrupted.

“Hannah—” Taeyong tried again.

“Please” Hannah pleaded. Taeyong sighed.

“Okay. Brett is across the hall” he stated. Hannah nodded.

“Thank you” she replied before she turned and began to walk over to where Taeyong told her to go.

“Take care” Taeyong called out. Hannah paused and looked over her shoulder, smiling weakly at him before she continued to walk towards where Brett was being held.

~*~*~*~*~

Late that night, Taeyong was in the interrogation room, leaning up against the table, fiddling with a paper clip when Jaehyun walked in.

“Taeyong? Who's the girl?” he asked as he walked over to the open case file on the table.

“That’s, um, that's Ariella Williams” Taeyong replied softly. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Girl from the everglades?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah” he replied. Jaehyun looked down at her picture and hummed thoughtfully.

“She's beautiful” he complimented.

“Yes, she is” Taeyong replied. Jaehyun noticed the tone in his partner’s voice, so he slowly walked around the table and stood next to him.

“Hey, at least we found our killer” he soothed. Taeyong sighed, nodding slowly.

“Yes…yes, we did” he agreed. Jaehyun then crossed his arms and let out a sigh before he looked over at Taeyong.

“What are you going to do now?” he asked softly. Taeyong sighed and pulled out his phone.

“Call her mother…I guess” he replied. Jaehyun nodded.

“Would you like me to leave?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No…stay. Please” he whispered. Jaehyun nodded and settled next to the Deathless as he opened his phone and typed in Ariella Williams’s mother’s phone number before putting the phone up to his ear.

“Mrs. Williams? Is this Ariella's mom? Mrs. Williams, this is, um this is Lieutenant Lee Taeyong from the Yadrioria Crime Lab. Yeah, I'm sorry” he began. He then sat quietly as Mrs. Williams began to blubber over the phone, making him feel even worse.

“Um, well you can…you can do that at the mortuary, yeah” he promised before he took a deep breath.

“Mrs. Williams, um I was, I was there, and Ariella…Ariella did not suffer, okay?” he assured. The woman on the other side went quiet for a moment before she softly asked if he was telling the truth.

“I am” he promised. Beside him, Jaehyun scooted closer, allowing Taeyong to rest his head on his shoulder. Both Taeyong and Jaehyun smiled slightly, just as Mrs. Williams asked if Taeyong was still there on the phone.

“No, I…I'm still here. I'm here” Taeyong soothed as he and Jaehyun remained in the interrogation room, silently comforting the grieving woman.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	15. Case 3: Triple Threat - Part 1

The next day was a bright and sunny day as expensive sports cars and fancy limousines drove around a rather lavish carport, paparazzi taking pictures as they drove by and as their guests got out. The guests soon made their way into the large mansion, where they then gathered in the garden and by the pool for champagne and hors d’oeuvres. As they were drinking and having a good time, a pretty young woman with blonde hair walked into the garden and began taking pictures with the guests before grabbing a champagne glass and walking over to a pedestal, stepping onto it.

“Excuse me. Excuse me. If I may have your attention, everyone, please” she called out, having all of the guests turn towards her.

“Thank you. Thank you” she thanked before she cleared her throat.

“Many people criticized my husband and me for wanting to turn prime, tourist-friendly real estate into a children's hospital. But they don't understand. Those young lives are the future. Now, the wealthy often find it easier to part with their money than their time. Right? But in doing both, you have put your Yadrioria Beach counterparts to shame. And so, a toast! To you! Cheers!” she cheered, holding up her champagne glass. The other guests followed her lead while the servants popped bottles of champagne. As the fourth servant popped the fourth bottle of champagne, everyone flinched at the abnormal sound of what sounded like a gunshot. They then all turned to see a tall man dressed in a white suit stumbling out of an upstairs bathroom and onto the balcony before falling over the edge and onto the decorative ice sculpture that was used to keep the champagne cold.

~*~*~*~*~

A few moments later, Taeyong and his detectives arrived on scene, Taeyong heading over to where Taeil was standing next to the victim, who had a large chunk of ice protruding from his chest.

“Can't say there's a protocol for this one, Taeyong” Taeil stated as he stared at the body.

He then shook his head.

“Going to have to keep our guy chilled until I can post him. The murder weapon is, uh, melting” he explained. Taeyong hummed before he narrowed his eyes and pointed to the left side of the body’s torso.

“I think someone got here first, Taeil, take a look at that” he ordered, pointing to a hole in the man’s chest. Taeil’s eyes widened as he reached out and moved the man’s suit jacket out of the way so that he could get a better look.

“Jesus. A gunshot wound” he breathed.

“Right. Some of the guests heard it” Taeyong stated. Taeil looked up at him, a frown on his face.

“Shot in the light of day in a house filled with people? That's cold-blooded” he murmured. Taeyong huffed mirthlessly.

“It’s as cold as ice” he replied before he turned and walked away to go and supervise CSU as they took DNA samples and fingerprint samples from every single guest that was present at the party. As he was supervising, a young man stepped out of line and walked over to him.

“Officer? You seem to be the one in charge here” he stated. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“I guess that depends who you ask” he replied. The young man then cleared his throat.

“My name's Matthew Hawkins. I'm Mr. Newley's, uh, was Mr. Newley's executive assistant. If I can be of any help—” he started.

“Who do you think would want to kill him, Matthew?” Taeyong interrupted.

“Well, he was a real estate developer one of the richest and most influential in Yadrioria. Swam with sharks on a daily basis. For every friend, he had three enemies” Matthew replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, I need a list of all of those people” he stated. Matthew nodded in return.

“Sure, anything. I just want to help get Mrs. Newley home to her baby. She's really been through a lot” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“And you will, as soon as you're done here. Back in line, please” he instructed. Matthew nodded and headed back to the line, quickly pulling out his phone to get the names of the people that Newley worked with.

~*~*~*~*~

Up on the second floor of the mansion, Donghyuck was marking the little drops of blood on the ground in the room where the victim was shot. As he was marking them, Mark walked inside and raised an eyebrow.

“Is this where the victim was shot?” he asked. Donghyuck looked up from the markers and smiled.

“Oh, how exciting. I get to work with our new CSI” he purred. Mark blinked at him before he blushed and turned his head away. Donghyuck chuckled at the action and shook his head.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you blush. I’m Lee Donghyuck” he introduced, holding out his hand. Mark turned back to look at him and smiled, walking over and reaching out to shake Donghyuck’s hand.

“Mark Lee” he replied. Donghyuck smiled at him one more time before he cleared his throat and pointed to the first marker.

“And to answer your question, yes, he was shot right there” he stated before he stood to his feet and motioned to the balcony.

“Then he fell backwards, over the balcony” he continued before looking back at Mark.

“Killer made it easier for us, he left the gun behind” he stated, pointing to the gun on the floor.

“.38 Smith & Wesson Special with a two-inch barrel” Mark mused as he stared at the gun before nodding.

“I’ll get it to firearms” he declared. Donghyuck nodded and continued looking around the second floor while Mark decided to look around too, noticing a drop of blood away from the other drops that still looked fresh.

“Wait a minute, Hyuck” he called out, drawing the man’s attention. Donghyuck took a step forward as Mark knelt down and shone his flashlight on a part of the floor.

“There’s another blood drop. It’s separate from the rest and it's still wet, so it could be from our killer” he mused before he stood up and looked over at Donghyuck.

“I’ll have Sicheng run it, ASAP” he declared. Donghyuck nodded.

“I’m sure you will. I look forward to working with you” he purred. Mark blushed and smiled a flustered smile before he turned and headed out, making Donghyuck chuckle as he watched the newest CSI member walk away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	16. Case 3: Triple Threat - Part 2

“Hey Taeil, were you able to recover the projectile from the victim yet?” Doyoung asked as he walked into the morgue and over to Taeil. 

“Yeah. Sing GSW. Round penetrated the chest. Came to rest in the pericardial sack, which caused massive internal bleeding” Taeil replied as he picked up an evidence bag and handed it to Doyoung. 

“But Newley's days were already numbered” he continued, making Doyoung look up from examining the bullet with wide eyes.

“There was massive scar tissue on the muscle, which caused several of the vessels to become narrow or completely occluded” he explained. Doyoung shook his head.

“Wow. Not even 40 years old and he's already had a heart attack” he murmured. Taeil scoffed.

“Doesn't mean he didn't do some hard living. He's got a perforated stum in the nasal cavity” he stated, making Doyoung nod in understanding.

“Ah. Chronic cocaine use” he deduced. Taeil nodded as well.

“Mm-hmm. His heart would've given out soon enough. The killer just beat him to it” he explained. Doyoung hummed before he held up the evidence bag.

“Which brings us back to the bullet” he mused as he turned and looked at the bullet in the bag.

“Looks like a .38. It's the same caliber as the weapon Mark recovered and it’s in nice shape. Should make my job a lot easier” he declared before he walked around the table to Taeil’s side and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Thanks Taeil. I’ll see you later” he bid before he turned and headed out of the morgue, leaving Taeil with a slight blush on his cheek.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the gun range, Doyoung loaded the bullets into the .38 before pointing it at the testing paper, firing it as many times as the gun would allow before he removed the shell casings and put them into his hand before he walked over to his microscope, placing one of the casings next to the one that Taeil found in the victim’s body. As he examined them, he noticed that the markings were the same, making him smile a little bit. He then looked away from the microscope and picked up the gun, looking at the serial number at the bottom of the handle.

“Alright” he murmured to himself as he walked over to his computer and typed in the serial number into their registered firearms database, waiting for it to load. While he was waiting, Donghyuck walked into the lab.

“Hey” he greeted, making Doyoung look up and smile.

“Hey” he replied. Donghyuck then placed his hands on his hips.

“Sicheng hyung said the .38 came back with no viable prints” he stated. Doyoung sighed.

“Unfortunately, no. I was however able to match the spent round to the recovered firearm, making it a definite as our murder weapon. And the serial number wasn't altered, so Automated Firearms is searching for a registered owner” he explained before his computer beeped with the results. He then turned the computer around for Donghyuck to look at.

“Huh. There you go. Chris Anderson. The trust fund playboy who's always in Ocean Drive” Donghyuck mused. Doyoung nodded.

“That’s the guy. I wonder what Chris has to say for himself” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

“Mr. Anderson, we recovered your firearm from a murder scene” Taeyong stated as he stood before Chris Anderson in the interrogation room.

“My .38? That thing was stolen, few years ago” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Is that a fact?” he inquired. Chris shrugged.

“It's hard to find good help. People think just because I got money that I don't notice when things disappear” he replied. Taeyong then crossed his arms.

“So I shouldn't expect to uncover a police report along the way” he mused.

“Nah. I got better things to do than to get someone into a beef with INS” Chris stated. Taeyong nodded.

“I understand. Where were you this morning?” he inquired.

“At my family's attorney's office, getting my monthly allowance. My parents get some kind of a thrill out of tightening the reins” Chris answered. Taeyong smirked.

“Well, we have a common interest. I'm going to keep you in a holding cell till I can verify your story, okay?” he stated before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in Sicheng’s lab, Sicheng took the sample that Mark had collected on a long Q-tip and snipped off the tip with the blood sample on it before placing it in an orange centrifuge tube.

He then took a micropipette and placed a tip onto it before sucking up enough solution to cover the Q-tip head. He then took the tube and placed it in a centrifuge, turning it on. After it spun for a little while, he took the tube out and took a bit of the DNA solution and placed it in a machine to check for the gender of the sample to see whether or not the killer was female or male. A little while later, after the results were printed, Sicheng was staring at the result sheet when Donghyuck walked in.

“Hey, Sicheng hyung. I hope you got something on that blood. Chris Anderson's story checked out, and we had to spring him” he explained as he stopped before his lab table. Sicheng looked over at him and hummed.

“Well, I can see why. That lone blood drop you found? It came back XX” he stated. Donghyuck looked at him in shock.

“Female?” he exclaimed. Sicheng nodded.

“Yep” he replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“So whose blood is it? Did you check it against the reference samples?” he asked. Sicheng nodded again.

“Everyone who attended the party. And guess what? The blood's consistent with Cinda Newley” he stated, showing Donghyuck the results.

“The victim's wife?” Donghyuck replied, looking down at the results. 

“Uh-huh” Sicheng confirmed. Donghyuck shook his head slightly before he looked up at Sicheng and smiled.

“Thanks hyung” he thanked before he turned and headed out to go talk to Cinda Newley. However, before he did that, he headed over to Mark’s lab and knocked on the door frame.

“Mark?” he called out, startling Mark into looking up from writing up a report.

“Oh, Hyuck. You startled me” he replied. Donghyuck smiled as he stepped into the lab and crossed his arms.

“Sorry. I was just wondering if you would like to join me in interrogating Mrs. Newley” he offered. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Isn’t that the victim’s wife?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah. DNA results came back as hers” he explained. 

“Wow” Mark murmured. Donghyuck smiled slightly as he continued to look at Mark.

“So, are you coming or what?” he asked. Mark blinked before he quickly stood to his feet.

“Oh, yeah, sure” he replied. Donghyuck smiled as he waited for Mark to walk over to him before they both headed out of Mark’s lab and to the interrogation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	17. Case 3: Triple Threat - Part 3

“I got a nosebleed, about five minutes before my speech. Public speaking makes me nervous” Cinda explained after Donghyuck told her about the blood drop that they found in the bathroom.

“So you admit, though, that you were in the bathroom” Mark stated. Cinda looked over at him and nodded.

“Yes, I was. But I was alone. My husband hadn't arrived yet” she explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“So you and your husband, you put on this event together; when you gave your speech, he's not there with you?” he asked, not buying it.

“We usually arrive separately. He hates these events, always just shows up at the end.

I swear I didn't see him until—” Cinda started when Donghyuck held up a hand.

“Mrs. Newley, let's just…let's be honest, okay? This doesn't look good. You stood to gain everything from your husband's death. We're talking a huge estate” he interrupted. Cinda glared at him.

“Right. Because everything in this world's about money I lost a husband today. And my baby just lost his father. I did not kill Richard” she snapped. Mark then sighed and stared at her sympathetically.

“Okay. Thank you, Ms. Newley. We'll be in touch” he stated. Cinda then stood up and stormed out, Donghyuck and Mark watching her leave. Once she was gone, Mark looked up at Donghyuck.

“What do you think?” he asked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“I don’t buy it” he replied, crossing his arms before looking down at Mark, who just sighed and shook his head.

“Well, the evidence is equivocal. The blood drop she left behind was gravitational. That's consistent with a nosebleed. And her alibi's about as airtight as you can get because she was downstairs when he fell” he explained. Donghyuck huffed, not liking what Mark was saying (even though he knew he was right), before he noticed that Cinda had left her glasses behind.

“She forgot her glasses” he murmured before he grabbed them and motioned towards the door.

“I’ll catch up with her” he declared before he walked out. 

“Mrs. Newley, your glasses” he called out, looking for the woman. However, once he got outside, he noticed a woman that looked exactly like Cinda was sitting in a Mazda convertible, wearing the exact same pair of glasses that he was holding in his hand. He then watched as the woman that they had just interviewed as “Cinda Newley” walked over to the car and got inside.

“What the hell?” he breathed to himself before he turned on his heels and ran back inside. He then headed to his lab and placed the glasses in a cyanoacrylate machine before placing a few drops of superglue into a little tin, placed that inside the machine, then turned it on. He waited and watched as the flumes ghosted over the glasses before finally a print was revealed. He then slipped on latex gloves before he pulled the glasses out of the case and removed the fingerprint, placing it into their fingerprint database to run against the fingerprint that they already had of Cinda Newley’s. The computer ran the comparison for a few minutes before the results finally came back: NO MATCH. As he was staring at the screen in confusion, Taeyong walked in behind him.

“Hey” he called out softly, startling Donghyuck into turning around. Taeyong smiled apologetically before he raised an eyebrow.

“What have we got?” he asked. 

“When I chased Cinda outside of the YPD, I got worried I was seeing things, so I compared the fingerprints off her sunglasses the sample print we took at the party. They don't match. The Cinda Newley we interviewed…it's not her” Donghyuck explained. Taeyong was quiet before he hummed and shut his eyes, leaning against one of the tables that did not contain any chemicals or equipment.

“I think it's likely that Cinda Newley has an identical twin” he declared.

“And she played us. They played us” Donghyuck growled, clenching his hands into fists. 

“They're playing everyone” Taeyong corrected.

~*~*~*~*~

“Would you like your sunglasses back? Miss—?” Mark asked, holding out the glasses as he stared at two Cinda Newley’s, not sure which one was which.

“Lisa Brooks” the woman that he and Donghyuck interviewed answered.

“She’s my sister” the real Cinda Newley replied. Mark let out a huff of a laugh.

“Boy, you guys really tried to pull a fast one, didn’t you?” he sneered, looking between the two women before crossing his arms.

“Which one of you murdered Richard Newley?” he inquired. Lisa and Cinda looked at him in shock.

“Neither. Just because we're twins doesn't make us murderers” Lisa answered. 

“It doesn’t make you innocent either, Lisa. You just posed as your sister. That means you're looking at obstruction of justice and giving false information” Mark deadpanned, not having time for this bullshit.

“But everything Lisa said was true. I told her exactly what to say to you guys. It may as we have been me” Cinda exclaimed. Mark shook his head.

“But it wasn't you, Cinda” he reminded before he looked hard at her.

“Were you afraid that you couldn't pull off the lies?” he inquired. Cinda looked over at him and glared.

“I just wanted to be with my son. He's only a year old. He doesn't get that his daddy is never coming home” she spat.

“Cinda could barely speak to anyone, let alone cops. We've always covered for each other. You know, like tests in school, creepy dates” Lisa explained.

“And Richard knew you were twins?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Lisa looked at him and shook her head.

“No. He didn’t need to know” she answered. Mark nodded slowly.

“Interesting. Makes it easier to cover up murder” he theorized. Lisa rolled her eyes.

“Cinda did not kill Richard” she exclaimed.

“Here’s the thing: you have different fingerprints, but identical twins share the same DNA, so the blood that we found at the crime scene puts you there as well” Mark stated, looking right at Lisa.

“I told you guys already, it's mine. My nose started bleeding” Cinda stated. Mark shook his head.

“No, actually, Lisa told us that, which means that I don't know really who is covering for who” he replied. Lisa then sighed and clapped her hands.

“Okay, Cinda was outside at the time, and I wasn't even at the party, okay? I was at the gym. Feel free to check” she offered. Mark nodded.

“I will” he assured.

“Okay” Lisa replied. Mark then smirked.

“In fact, I’ll double check” he declared before he stood to his feet, leaving the identical twins in the interrogation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	18. Case 3: Triple Threat - Part 4

Down in the morgue, Taeil was looking over Richard Newley’s body when Doyoung walked through the doors and over to him.

“Hey, I got your message. There's new information?” he asked. Taeil glanced up at him and nodded.

“I checked Richard Newley's medical records. In 39 years, he's only checked into the hospital twice. He jammed a Q-tip in his ear when he was 11 and was treated for a case of pleurisy at 27. Otherwise, perfect health. There's nothing anywhere about a myocardial infarction” he explained. Doyoung frowned.

“Well, if he didn't have a heart attack, then what caused the scar tissue on his heart muscle?” he asked.

“A heart attack” Taeil replied, making Doyoung look at him with confusion. He then chuckled softly at the sight of confusion on his lover’s face before he cleared his throat.

“The twins thought they had a secret. Newley had an even bigger secret” he explained. Doyoung was quiet for a moment before his eyes widened in shock as he pointed to the body.

“Wait a minute. Are you saying that this is not Richard Newley? Are you saying this is another twin?” he exclaimed.

“No, but he tried really hard to be him” Taeil replied. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't know what you mean” he whispered, feeling confused. And he did not like to feel confused. He was a scientist, damn it. Taeil sighed before he pointed to Newley’s head.

“See this scar along the hairline? Well, this is where plastic surgeons like to hide their handiwork” he explained. Doyoung frowned before he put on a pair of gloves and gently pushed the hair back to see a small scar, making him gasp.

“He had a face lift” he breathed. Taeil nodded.

“Well done. But not to lose a few wrinkles. He changed his whole appearance” he explained before he motioned to Newley’s mouth.

“Scars inside the mouth indicates cheek implants and chin augmentation” he continued. Doyoung then bent down and noticed a scar behind Newley’s ears.

“There's another scar right here” he stated. Taeil nodded.

“A bilateral otoplasty. Had both ears pinned back, capped it off with a nose job and color contact lenses” he declared. When Doyoung stared at him with wide eyes, he chuckled.

“We're not talking a reasonable facsimile, sweetheart. This man paid big money” he explained. Doyoung huffed.

“Maybe Richard Newley picked up the tab” he mused. Taeil frowned.

“You think he was paid to be Richard's look-alike?” he asked. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't know. He's a hotshot real estate developer, needs to be in two places at once—” he started.

“And he had a lot of enemies. I mean, someone thought they had killed him” Taeil continued. Doyoung hummed before a thought hit him.

“You know, if that's true, Richard Newley is still alive” he declared. He then looked at Taeil and grinned.

“You are absolutely brilliant, Taeil” he praised before he turned on his heels and headed out of the morgue. 

“Any time” Taeil called out, a slight blush on his cheeks, as Doyoung walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

“Mr. Newley has had at least three attempts on his life. Development displaces people and people get angry. You should see the hate mail” Matthew Hawkins grumbled to Doyoung after he called him in to ask him about the body double.

“So you knew he had a look-alike?” Doyoung asked, raising an eyebrow. Matthew scoffed.

“Knew? I-I helped hire the guy. Jordan White. He gave up his identity for 100K a year” he explained.

“He also gave up his life” Doyoung reminded. Matthew nodded, looking away in slight shame. Doyoung then leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“So you knew the victim wasn't Newley, and you knew that we were investigating the murder of a look-alike, and yet you said nothing. Why?” he asked calmly. Matthew looked at him, eyes a little wide.

“I couldn’t. When Jordan went down, I – I thought my boss could be in danger. H-He went to great lengths to create this decoy. I’m the only one who knows. Even his wife doesn’t know” he explained. Doyoung looked at him with calm brown eyes.

“Well, if your boss is in danger, we need to find him. Do you have any idea where he is?” he asked, trying not to cause the young man to panic. Matthew shook his head.

“I don't know. I haven't been able to reach him all day” he answered. Doyoung sighed before he looked into Matthew’s green eyes and leaned forward.

“Okay, let me put it to you this way: Newley, like yourself, could be a suspect, so I suggest that you start cooperating with me, alright?” he asked, calmly but firmly. Matthew nodded.

“Um…he's been spending a lot of time at the Ambrose Estates property. They just broke ground” he explained. Doyoung nodded, smiling slightly.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked. Matthew looked back at him and shook his head. Doyoung smiled one more time at the man before he pulled out his mobile and pressed Taeyong’s contact number.

“Taeyong, I know where the real Richard Newley is” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Once Taeyong got the information from Doyoung, he and Mark took off in Taeyong’s Lamborghini, arriving at the Ambrose Estate lot. Just as they were pulling in, a large black Escalade was speeding out but before it could leave, Taeyong swerved in front of it, blocking its way. He and Mark then got out of the Lamborghini and began to walk over to the Escalade when the driver’s side door opened, and Richard Newley stepped out.

“The dead shall rise” Mark murmured. Richard raised his hands in a “I surrender” fashion as he walked over to Mark and Taeyong.

“You seem to be in a hurry, Mr. Newley” Taeyong mused as the man stood before them. Richard laughed nervously.

“Uh, no, I didn't realize you guys were cops. I-I heard about the shooting. Figured I might be next” he explained. Taeyong placed his hands on his hips.

“Mr. Newley, I'll be frank: either you killed Jordan White or you know who did” he deduced. Richard sighed.

“My look-alike does promotional events for me all the time. Given, this is obviously the worst-case scenario, but he knew the risks” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean, risks?” he demanded. Richard shrugged.

“When you're as high profile as I am, sometimes even leaving the house is dangerous. I'm a very recognizable person in Yadrioria. I just used my double for added security, plain and simple” he explained. Taeyong frowned and crossed his arms.

“Maybe you were attempting to fake your own death to disappear, and your double became expendable” he mused. Richard’s eyes widened.

“No. I had nothing to do with Jordan White's death” he exclaimed. Taeyong frowned, not believing him, when he noticed something in a pile of dirt behind Mr. Newley’s car.

“Excuse me” he murmured as he pushed past Richard to get to the pile. He then bent down and brushed away the dirt, revealing what looked like a human foot inside a high heel.

“Mark” he called out, making the man look up from where he was talking with Mr. Newley.

“The cadaver dogs, please” the Deathless continued. Mark blinked before he nodded, waving his hand. Suddenly, out of the shadows appeared three hellhounds that quickly walked over to the pile and began sniffing at it. He then summoned a small trowel and walked over to the pile, kneeling next to where Taeyong had found the body and began moving the dirt around before he came across a severed hand.

“Hyung” he called out. Taeyong looked over at him and when he saw the hand that Mark was holding up, he sighed before he called more members of CSU out onto the scene so they could take photos, sift through the dirt, and find more human remains. While they were working, Taeyong walked over to Richard and placed his hands on his hips as Mark stood before the man with crossed arms.

“I had no idea anyone was buried here” Richard promised. Mark huffed.

“Well, you know, this isn't the first dead body you've been associated with today” he reminded. Richard frowned and shook his head.

“I don't understand. I really don't. I mean, I swear I'm innocent” he assured.

“Well then you'll be okay with protective custody till we prove it” Taeyong stated, looking into the man’s eyes. Richard looked back at him in shock and Mark sighed.

“Mr. Newley, have you called your wife and told her that you're still alive?” he asked. Richard looked over at him and shook his head.

“No, I figured it was safer her not knowing. You know, until I got to the bottom of it” he explained.

“Well, then you're both in for a big surprise” Taeyong growled softly before he turned and walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	19. Case 3: Triple Threat - Part 5

Back at the crime lab, down in the morgue, Taeil was looking over the body from the crime scene, camera in hand.

“Hi hyung” Mark called out as he walked into the morgue. Taeil looked up at him and smiled.

“Hey Mark” he greeted, pausing in what he was doing as Mark walked over and stopped before the body.

“That's the girl from the construction site” he stated. Taeil nodded.

“Yeah, I did my best to put the poor baby back together. Almost done fluoroscoping” he replied. 

“Were you able to get an ID?” Mark inquired. Taeil nodded as he turned and picked up his clipboard.

“Dental records match on a missing person: Mia Graham” he declared. Mark’s eyes widened.

“Mia Graham? That name sounds so familiar” he murmured, making Taeil look at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Yeah, I think this girl used to work for Richard Newley. I came across her name in one of his files” he explained. Taeil hummed.

“Well, COD's pressed skull fracture” he stated. 

“Any thoughts on what the murder weapon might be?” Mark asked. Taeil huffed.

“I think you might have more luck identifying _what_ cut her up” he replied. Mark hummed before he looked at the television screen that was over Mia’s body.

“I guess saw marks are easier to identify than depression marks” he murmured. As Taeil continued to fluoroscope the body, he frowned when he noticed something.

“Wait a minute. I think I just found a piece of it” he stated as he quickly grabbed his tweezers and dug into Mia’s flesh, pulling out a piece of metal.

“Has teeth. Looks like a saw blade” he mused. Mark quickly grabbed a magnifying glass and held it up to the piece of metal, humming.

“It could be from a, uh Sawzall?” he suggested. 

“Thank you can get a print?” Taeil teased as he placed the piece of the Sawzall into a metal dish.

“I know I can” Mark replied confidently, making Taeil smile before he handed the dish over to Mark, who nodded his thanks before he turned and headed to his lab. Back in his lab, Mark searched the piece for some sort of print and thankfully he found one, so he dusted it then scanned it into the database, running it against the fingerprints that they had in the system. After a few moments of scanning, a positive match was made, making Mark stare at the screen in surprise before he growled.

“Son of a bitch” he swore.

~*~*~*~*~

“Your boss said you'd be here, Matthew” Taeyong called out as he walked into the makeshift office at the Ambrose Estate lot. Matthew looked over at him in confusion as Taeyong crossed his arms.

“And I guess he was right” he murmured. Matthew frowned.

“I, uh, you know, I was just cleaning up” he explained. Taeyong eyed him up and down before letting out a huff.

“Yes, I can imagine you are” he mused as other police officers suddenly entered the office, guns drawn. Matthew furrowed his brow as he looked over at them before looking back at Taeyong.

“Well, I run this job site, so anything goes missing, I take the heat” he explained.

“I would get used to that if I were you” Taeyong advised before he placed his hands on his hips.

“We found your fingerprint on the blade that killed Mia Graham, your former supervisor. It's a perfect match” he declared. Matthew looked down at the blade on the desk before looking back up at the Taeyong.

“Why would I kill her?” he demanded. Taeyong shrugged.

“You killed Mia because she was Mr. Newley's assistant and you wanted her job. A job that would have been out of your reach” he replied calmly. Matthew tsked, almost as if he was disappointed in himself.

“Never figured anyone would find her” he murmured. Taeyong scoffed.

“And that's because killers like you, Matthew, never do” he replied before he looked over at the police officers.

“Take him” he ordered. The two officers nodded and moved to arrest the man when suddenly he struck out wildly, throwing a punch into the female officer’s face before roundhouse kicking the other officer. He then turned on Taeyong, who looked unamused by the show. Matthew grinned wickedly before he pulled the blade out of the saw and threw it at him. The Deathless barely even flinched, he just calmly raised his hand, stopping the blade inches from his face.

“How the—” Matthew started before Taeyong dropped his hand, dropping the sawblade, and calmly walked over to him.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to kill me just to try and get out of going to prison” he replied as he snapped his fingers, summoning handcuffs.

“Now, if try to fight me, I will physically have to restrain you and as you can see, I’m not human, so please, think about your next move wisely” he murmured softly into the man’s ear. Matthew paused before he sighed and allowed himself to be handcuffed and led out to another one of the squad cars by another officer, Taeyong watching carefully so that nothing would happen.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the old case file room, Jaehyun and Donghyuck were going through some old files.

“We're not going to tell Cinda her husband's still alive? That seems kind of cruel” Jaehyun murmured. Donghyuck huffed as he grabbed a box of evidence and brought it over to the table.

“They don't want to be straight with us, we return the favor” he explained as he slit the tape and opened up the box.

“Besides, Taeyong hyung doesn't want anyone in on this until we know who we can trust” he continued. Jaehyun nodded before he looked down at the files in his hand.

“All right” he agreed before he opened one of the files and scanned it.

“I have a police report from the first attempt on Richard Newley's life” he declared.

“You think it was the same person tried again today?” Donghyuck inquired. Jaehyun shrugged.

“If at first you don't succeed” he replied before he cleared his throat.

“Says here Mr. and Mrs. Newley were shot at outside the country club polo grounds. Cinda was eight months pregnant. Bullet missed them both, but Cinda fell. She was rushed to the hospital for an emergency C-section” he stated. Donghyuck hummed as he reached into the box and pulled out an evidence bag with a bullet in it.

“Looks like the only piece of ballistic evidence we got was this 9mm round. Couldn't tie it back to a gun” he explained. 

“Tell you what we do have; we have a list of witnesses and suspects” Jaehyun stated.

Donghyuck looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Anyone of interest?” he inquired.

“Yeah. Take a look at this” Jaehyun ordered, handing over a file. Donghyuck took it and read the list of suspects and witnesses, noticing a familiar name.

“Chris Anderson” he murmured. Jaehyun nodded.

“Same guy that owns the gun involved in the shooting this morning” he added.

“Now he's connected to two attempts on Newley's life” Donghyuck murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	20. Case 3: Triple Threat - Part 6

“So I'm thinking that shooting at Richard Newley was target practice, Mr. Anderson?” Doyoung asked as he sat before Chris in the interrogation room.

“I assume you're talking about the incident at the country club” Chris replied. Doyoung nodded.

“I am talking about the incident at the country club” he confirmed.

“I was at the clubhouse when it happened. A cop questioned me as a witness, not a suspect. It was a year ago and they agree it was a coincidence” Chris explained. Doyoung crossed his arms.

“Why didn't you mention it before?” he inquired. Chris sighed.

“Because I knew it would look bad. But believe me, it was just a coincidence” he assured. Doyoung pursed his lips.

“Seeing as Richard Newley is dead, I don't believe there are any coincidences, and I think a jury will agree with me” he stated before he looked over at an officer that was standing into the room with them.

“Let's book him. Get him out” he ordered. The officer nodded and took a step forward, making Chris’ eyes widen.

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute” he ordered, making the officer step back and Doyoung lean forward in interest.

“I-I did shoot at the Newley’s last year. But it had nothing to do with Richard. I was aiming at his wife” he explained. Doyoung frowned.

“His wife? Why Newley's wife?” he inquired. Chris sighed.

“We dated three years ago. I kept a lot of cash in the house and one day, it was gone. Along with my .38. Now Cinda was with me when it happened, so I thought it couldn't have been her. But then I found out about her sister” he explained.

“Why didn't you report it?” Doyoung asked. Chris shrugged.

“No proof. And to be honest, I was embarrassed. You know, duped by twins. Like a joke. I felt like I was stuck in one of them gum commercials” he answered.

“Well since you've copped to it, you're going to be stuck in prison for attempted murder” Doyoung declared. Chris looked at him, shocked.

“I…I just wanted to scare her” he exclaimed. Doyoung leaned forward slightly, brown eyes glowing red.

“Look, you're lucky she didn't lose the baby. If she had, you'd be in there for murder” he growled before he looked up at the officer standing behind Chris and nodded.

“Let’s go” the officer ordered, grabbing Chris underneath the armpit and dragging him to his feet before leading him out of the room. Once he was gone, Doyoung pulled out his phone and dialed a number, putting it to his ear.

“Hey, Yuta. It’s Doyoung. Listen, I think we need to pay the twins another visit. And would you pick up a copy of Ocean Drive on your way in?” he asked.

_“_ _Um, sure Doyoung, but why?”_ Yuta asked.

“Oh, you’ll see” Doyoung assured with a smile he knew Yuta couldn’t see.

_“_ _Alright, I’m trusting your judgement”_ Yuta replied.

“Thank you. Bye” Doyoung bid before he hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

“What stolen money? Chris's lying” Cinda exclaimed to Yuta as he sat before her and Lisa after telling them about what Chris had told Doyoung. Yuta huffed.

“Oh, I-I'm sure. I can't wait to hear the truth” he stated sarcastically. 

“He was scary jealous. He went into a rage when I left him for Richard” Cinda explained.

“The guy was practically stalking Cinda. He couldn't kill Cinda, so he went after Richard” Lisa added.

“I'm just grateful that Noah's safe” Cinda sniffled. Yuta nodded slowly as he looked over at the toddler playing in the playpen before he sighed and looked back at Cinda.

“Yeah, about him. Uh, you had a cesarean delivery, right?” he asked.

“I had to. During the shooting, I fell. There was bleeding” Cinda explained. Yuta hummed.

“Well, maybe you can explain this picture that I found of you in Ocean Drive magazine” he asked, opening the magazine that Doyoung had told him to bring to the page where Cinda and Richard were posing, with Richard reclining on a beach chair while Cinda stood next to him in a bathing suit.

“It’s a really cute suit…but there’s no scar” he stated, dropping the bomb on both Cinda and Lisa.

“Oh. They must've airbrushed it” Cinda lied, making Yuta give her a look. Did she really think he was that stupid? He was a CSI, for God’s sake; he knew what the fuck was up.

“Yeah?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah” Cinda assured. Yuta then crossed his arms.

“Did you know that I can get a warrant to have your body searched for surgical scars?” he asked, pulling his trump card. Cinda blinked before she looked over at Lisa, who looked a little like a deer in the headlights, before she sighed.

“All right. Cinda found out she couldn't have children. I had the baby, okay” she snapped. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“So you covered for each other like back in high school, but this time you slept with him” he inferred.

“I couldn't tell him. I was afraid that he'd leave me. Children were so important to him” Cinda explained.

“So you're telling me that you switched places for nine whole months without Richard knowing?” Yuta exclaimed.

“Yes. I know it was wrong” Lisa snapped. Yuta gave her a look.

“Yeah, you are wrong, Lisa, because we checked your passport and you weren't in the country. You were in Africa the entire pregnancy. I already called Child Services. They're going to take Noah away and send him to foster care unless you tell me the whole truth right now” he snarled. Cinda and Lisa looked at one another before another woman stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room.

“Wait! Please don't take him. He's mine. Noah's mine” she admitted. Yuta looked over at her and when he saw that she looked exactly like Cinda and Lisa, he thought his head was going to explode. He then let out a mirthless laugh.

“Triplets. That’s…well, that’s perfect” he chuckled before he looked at the three young woman, eyes flashing silver.

“All three of you are coming with me” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, in the interrogation room, Yuta was sitting before the third sister while Cinda and Lisa sat outside. The young woman, Lana Brookes, looked over her shoulder at where her sisters were sitting before looking back at Yuta, who was much calmer than he had been when he had been at the manor.

“I really shouldn't talk without Cinda and Lisa” she murmured. Yuta smiled kindly at her, trying not to scare her, since she seemed like the gentlest of the three.

“I already spoke to them. I'd like to hear your story” he explained. Lana sighed.

“I don't know how it got this far” she murmured. Yuta laced his hands together and leaned back in his chair, trying to be as relaxed and non-threatening as possible.

“Why don't you tell me how it started?” he offered. Lana looked at him before he nodded.

“It was always just a game. Cheating on tests. Fooling bosses, boyfriends” she explained. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“So, you three went after Richard?” he asked.

“We grew up poor. This was a way to make sure we were okay forever” Lana explained, running a hand through her hair as she sighed.

“Cinda was supposed to marry him. Anytime it got old, Lisa and I'd step in. Then Cinda would divorce him, and then get a big chunk of change” she continued. Yuta nodded.

“But he wanted a prenup” he inferred. Lana nodded.

“Well, then Cinda had to get pregnant since the money always goes with the kid. But she couldn't do it. Cinda's infertile, so I did” she explained. Yuta frowned.

“Having a baby…that is not a game” he reminded softly. Lana nodded.

“I know. I love Noah so much, I miss him” she murmured softly. Yuta sighed, really hating his job sometimes as he thought of the next question to ask.

“Did you kill Richard so that you could get him back?” he asked, wincing as the question caused Lana to flinch as if she had been slapped.

“No. God, no. Dick was actually a really good guy” she explained. Yuta frowned.

“Who killed him? We have the blood from the crime scene. We know it was one of you” he stated. Lana shook her head.

“I don't know” she replied. Yuta sighed and leaned forward slightly, not trying to be angry or intimidating, but just honest.

“You're going to lose Noah, Lana, if you don't help me out here” he reminded. Lana sniffled, shaking her head.

“I'm sorry” she whimpered. Yuta sighed and looked over the woman’s shoulder to look at the other two sisters, who looked rather smug with themselves.

_‘_ _That shit ain’t gonna fly here’_ he thought to himself as he stood up and walked out of the room, not before placing a gentle and comforting hand on Lana’s shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hyung, I heard you caught Matthew Hawkins” Donghyuck stated as he walked over to Taeyong and stood before him. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, we did. What about the triplets?” he asked. Donghyuck sighed.

“Dead end. We know one of them did it, but we just can't tie it to them individually. Identical blood and identical DNA. Just got to figure out which one of them it belongs to” he replied. Taeyong was quiet before it hit him.

“Antibodies, Donghyuck. Antibodies” he declared. Donghyuck looked at him with a raised eyebrow before it hit him too and he smirked before turning and walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	21. Case 3: Triple Threat - CASE CLOSED

“All the girls were born with the same blood. What they don't know is that every time the body experiences a specific trauma, it builds antibodies to fight it. So you got different lives, different traumas” Donghyuck stated after he walked into Sicheng’s lab and told him why he was there. Sicheng nodded.

“And Lana Brooks' blood is going to show presence of anti-RH positive antibodies, which a woman's body produces when she's pregnant” he explained before he picked up a Q-tip with the tip covered in blood.

“And thus, the antigen antibody test” he declared. Donghyuck watched Sicheng in wonder as he snipped off the tip that contained the blood and placed it in small tube before placing it in a strange little machine.

“What are you doing, exactly?” Donghyuck asked. Sicheng looked over at him and smiled.

“I added a specific reagent to the sample, and now I’m gonna give her a quick spin in the centrifuge, and if it precipitates, then we've got her” he explained as he closed the lid of the machine and pressed a button. When the test was done, he pulled out the small tube and held it up before looking over at Donghyuck, shaking his head.

“No. Sorry, Donghyuck. There's no evidence of any anti-RH positive antibodies. Eliminates Lana as the killer” he declared. Donghyuck let out a small sigh of relief before he looked down at the bottles on Sicheng’s station and grabbed one.

“Here, try this. This reagent may show us something else on the next blood sample” he urged. Sicheng looked at him in shock.

“Donghyuck, you do realize that this is the very last blood sample from the scene. We test this one, we're out of crime scene samples” he reminded. Donghyuck nodded, seriousness filling his eyes.

“Just call it hunch” he replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“If it doesn't pay off, we've got nothing” he argued. Donghyuck sighed.

“I know. A killer could walk” he replied tiredly. Sicheng looked at him with sympathy before he sighed and picked up the bottle, squirting it onto the very last sample before he shut the lid of the centrifuge and ran the test. When it was done, he pulled it out and held it up to the light, looking at it.

“Is it clotting?” Donghyuck asked. Sicheng nodded, a smile on his face.

“Yes, it is” he replied. Donghyuck let out a relieved huff.

“Indicates the presence of specific IgG and IgM antibodies. And you know what that shows” Sicheng continued. Donghyuck nodded.

“The presence of a killer” he answered before he turned on his heels and walked out of the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Sicheng, Donghyuck went down to Mark’s lab and grabbed him before calling the triplets into the interrogation room.

“You know, as a CSI, I spend a lot of time looking at things that to the naked eye seem identical, but aren't. Likes prints and DNA, tool marks. It's just what I do really well” Donghyuck started.

“So?” Lisa asked.

“So, triplets are no problem” Donghyuck continued before he smiled appreciatively.

“I have to say, though, you girls were really good. I mean, Cinda, you lured Richard in like a pro. You used your MBA background to spark a little interest. Maybe there was even love. Who knows?” he mused before he looked over at Lana.

“Then, Lana, you stepped in and did the one thing that Cinda couldn't and had a child” he continued. Lana looked at him, shocked.

“But I didn't kill anybody. I told you that!” she exclaimed. Mark raised his hands in a calming manner.

“We know, we believe you. I think that's the one thing you couldn't do” he explained before his gaze finally stopped on Lisa.

“The blood from the crime scene showed the presence of IgG and IgM” he stated. 

“Meaning?” Cinda asked, trying to get Mark’s gaze away from her sister, but Mark would not budge.

“Meaning that person was immunized against an infectious disease. Dengue fever, to be exact, which is contracted in Africa. And, Lisa, only you have been there” Donghyuck deduced. Lana looked down, a little sick, while Cinda looked smugly over at her sister, who just sighed and took a deep breath.

“I was told to shoot Richard when I heard the champagne corks pop” she admitted. Mark and Donghyuck nodded.

“While Lana was at the gym, which provided you with a really nice little alibi” Mark added with a smirk. Cinda shook her head, chuckling softly before she glared at Lisa.

“Damn it, Lisa. We both said that trip was a stupid idea” she snapped. Lisa glared back at her.

“It wasn't a trip. I was a student” she growled back. Cinda gave her a look.

“Then you got one of your little nosebleeds, didn't you?” she sneered. Lisa narrowed her eyes.

“So?” she demanded.

“So, we did all the work, and you messed up” Lana muttered quietly, looking over at her sister. Lisa scoffed.

“Are you kidding me, Lana? You lay there. He told me how disinterested **I** seemed allthose months before **I** got pregnant” she sneered. Mark let out a little groan and rolled his eyes while Donghyuck leaned forward in his chair after hearing the whole confession story.

“Okay, okay, okay, ladies, if it's of any comfort, you're all guilty of murder” he declared.

“What's going to happen to my baby?” Lana asked, looking into his eyes. Mark smiled sadly.

“He'll be raised by his father” he answered. Cinda, Lana, and Lisa looked at him, puzzled.

“Excuse me? His father? He's dead. How is that possible?” Cinda demanded. Donghyuck and Mark chuckled and shook their heads.

“Because we can spot differences, and you three can't” Mark explained with a smile, eyes glowing purple while Donghyuck’s eyes flicked to black. Cinda glared at them, Lana looked absolutely heartbroken, and Lisa’s face was completely void of all emotions.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside of the crime lab, as the three women were being led away, Richard watched with little Noah in his arms, a look of shock, confusion, and hurt on his face. While he was watching them leave, Taeyong slowly walked out of the crime lab and down the stairs to stand next to him, smiling at Noah before watching the van that carried the three women drove away.

“When you've got money, everybody wants a piece of you. I spent so much time suspecting the people I work with, I never thought to look next to me. My whole life people have told me lies” he murmured as he shifted Noah in his arms before looking over at Taeyong.

“You know, despite all that's happened, I still have the only thing that's important…my son” he declared, giving Noah a gentle squeeze. Taeyong smiled at the little boy before he looked up at Richard.

“Well, he's a lucky kid” he declared. Richard frowned and raised an eyebrow.

“And why is that?” he asked. Taeyong smiled at Noah before looking up at Richard one last time.

“Because his father is a good man” he replied with absolute conviction. Richard blinked in surprise before he nodded and walked away, leaving Taeyong to stare after him and Noah with a smile on his face.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	22. Case 4: Count Me Out - Part 1

A few weeks later, Doyoung and Yuta were walking towards the crime lab when suddenly a car came speeding down the road, a police car right on their tails. Doyoung’s eyes widened and he quickly took after the car and police vehicle, much to Yuta’s surprise.

“Doyoung, where are you going?!” he exclaimed.

“That's a dead end down there. They could need our help” Doyoung called back, running away from Yuta as he pulled his gun out of her hostler. Yuta let out a groan before he rushed after him, pulling his gun out of his holster as well.

“Ah, god damn it, Doyoung!” he shouted, both CSI running down the street until they came upon where the car had crashed into a barrier and the police car had stopped behind it. Yuta and Doyoung then watched as one of the people in the car got out and took off down the road. Doyoung noticed that the officer wanted to run after the suspect, so he ran over to where they were hiding behind their door and nodded to them.

“I got the driver! Go, go, go!” he ordered. The officer nodded and took off after the suspect while Doyoung reached into their car and grabbed a hold of their radio.

“Suspect on foot at this time. Caucasian, yellow t-shirt, jeans- heading east at Overly” she stated into the radio, just as Yuta ran over to the other open car door and hid behind it, gun out in front of him.

“Driver! Roll down your window and throw the keys out of the car!” he shouted. Doyoung looked over at him before they both looked at the car in front of them and watched as the driver’s side window rolled down slightly, just enough for the driver to drop the keys out.

“Step out of the car with your hands up!” Yuta continued. The person inside the car paused for a moment before they stepped out of the car and Yuta and Doyoung could see that the driver was a young man, maybe in his early twenties.

“Now, walk back towards me” Doyoung ordered, his and Yuta’s guns still drawn. The young man did what he was told and started to walk backwards towards the two detectives, lowering his arms slightly before Doyoung narrowed his eyes.

“Hands up!” he ordered. The young man’s hands quickly shot back up as he continued to walk backwards towards them until he was right in front of the squad car. As soon as he was where Doyoung wanted him, he and Yuta quickly walked out from behind the safety of the squad car doors.

“Right there. Get on your knees. Let's go, on the floor, sprawled out” she ordered, just as Taeyong came tearing around the corner in his Lamborghini, quickly parking the car before hopping out of the driver’s side, drawing his gun as he slowly started walking towards Doyoung and Yuta.

“How many we got, Doyoung?” he called out. Doyoung looked up from where he had grabbed the young man’s hands and held them behind his head.

“Got two confirmed. One's on the run” he replied before he looked over at Yuta.

“Check the trunk” he ordered. Yuta nodded and walked over to the trunk; gun still drawn. When he and Taeyong appeared before the trunk, they both looked at one another before Taeyong reached out and popped the trunk, revealing the body of a dead man. Taeyong and Yuta’s widened before Taeyong looked over at the young man at Doyoung’s feet.

“Bring him” he growled. Doyoung nodded and grabbed the man’s wrists, forcing him to his feet before bringing him over to Taeyong.

“So how do you explain that?” Taeyong demanded as he put his gun away. The young man shook his head.

“The guy made me. I didn't have a choice” he pleaded. Taeyong shook his head as he too put his gun away.

“Everybody has a choice” he growled before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

While the police and helicopter were out searching for the missing suspect, back behind the crime lab, paramedics just pulled up and had the dead body in a body bag and on a stretcher.

“They still haven't found our Olympic sprinter” Doyoung stated as he walked over to Taeyong, who was standing by the body.

“Yes, the manhunt continues” Taeyong mused as Doyoung walked over to the trunk of the car and pulled out his flashlight, turning it on.

“There's no blood in the trunk of this car. He was likely dead before he went in” he called out. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, but there's a pink fibrous material on this sweater. Could be insulation” he replied as he leaned down to look at the dead man’s sweater. He then looked over at Doyoung.

“Document everything” he ordered. Doyoung nodded and began to work while Taeyong walked over to the young man, who was held by one of the police officers.

“Got to be honest with you, son, I don't believe your story” Taeyong stated as he placed his hands on his hips.

“It's not a story, sir, it's the truth. He put a gun on me” the young man stammered. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Where did that happen?” he demanded. The young man turned to face him, looking a little pale.

“16th and Maplewood. He-he told me to pop the trunk and then start driving” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Did he mention a destination?” he asked. The young man shook his head.

“No, just that he was gonna blow my head off if I didn't keep my foot on the pedal. Next thing I know I'm in a car chase with the police” he stated. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“Show us what he did” he instructed. The young man nodded as he raised his right hand, made a gun with his fingers, and held it to his neck.

“He came up, and he put the gun right here” he stated. Taeyong looked at him before he nodded slowly.

“I'm going to hang on to you till I can figure out what's what” he stated. The officer nodded before he took the young man away, Taeyong watching as he left.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the morgue, Taeil was working on the body when Doyoung and Mark walked in.

“Well, Taeil, I don't have any sort of fancy medical degree, but I'd venture to guess that this victim died due to a head injury” Doyoung called out as he and Mark walked over to him.

Taeil looked up at both of them and shook his head.

“Incorrect. Blow to the head may have immobilized him, but the real C.O.D. is chemical asphyxia. It caused a pulmonary edema leading to both respiratory and cardiac arrest” he explained. Doyoung and Mark looked at him in shock.

“Is there anything about the chemical in particular?” Doyoung asked. Taeil hummed.

“Trachea and lungs were severely inflamed. I suspect a chemical poisoning agent” he mused before he motioned to a pile of clothes and other things on a table near the foot of the examination table.

“Those are his belongings” he stated. Mark nodded before he snapped his fingers and summoned a pair of gloves, walking over to the table. 

“Poor thing. It seems like that's a terrible death” Doyoung murmured. Taeil nodded in agreement.

“Pure agony. Prolonged agony. Chemical inhalants take 12 to 15 hours to digest. I'm a bit perplexed by the lividity, but tox may help there” he explained, just as Mark cleared his throat.

“Hey Doyoung, our victim has a federal I.D. His name is Christopher Perez. Says here he worked for the Yadrioria Census Bureau” he called out before he walked back over to Taeil and Doyoung, handing Doyoung the card.

“Well, that takes guts. I mean, walking up to houses blind, you never know what you're gonna find. Could be a fed hater” he mused before he looked at Mark.

“I'm going to call his work and see if I can get a hold of his schedule and the last locations he visited” he declared. Mark nodded and took off his gloves as he followed after Doyoung as he left the morgue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, and subscribe!


	23. Case 4: Count Me Out - Part 2

After Doyoung got ahold of the victim’s schedule, he asked Donghyuck and Yuta to come along and once everyone was accounted for, they got into one of the Hummers and drove to the last known location that the victim was supposed to visit. When they arrived, they all got out as Doyoung briefed them.

“According to Census Bureau, this is last neighborhood where Christopher Perez worked this morning” he stated. Donghyuck frowned.

“Okay, how do you want to split up the houses?” he asked. Doyoung hummed before he pointed to the two houses closest to them.

“How about Yuta and I take those two and you and Mark can take those two?” he suggested, pointing to two houses behind them. Yuta shrugged.

“Sounds good to me. What about you guys?” he asked, looking at Donghyuck and Mark. Mark nodded.

“Okay” he replied. Donghyuck nodded as well.

“I’m in” he agreed. Doyoung nodded and clapped his hands.

“Excellent. Now come on, let’s get going” he ordered before he and Yuta walked over to the two houses that they agreed on while Donghyuck and Mark walked over to the houses they agreed on. As Donghyuck and Mark walked over to their houses, Doyoung and Yuta came upon a young African-American woman cleaning a car, so they thought it would be a good idea to start with her first. When they walked up to her, she startled a little, making Doyoung hold up a hand.

“Easy, ma’am, we are not here to hurt you” he soothed. The young woman nodded before she cleared her throat.

“Can I help you?” she asked. Doyoung held up his badge for her to see, smiling slightly.

“We are with the Yadrioria Police Department” he explained.

“Are you the homeowner of record?” Yuta added. The young woman’s eyes widened, and she shook her head.

“No. No, I—” she started when a tall, redheaded woman walked out.

“Get inside, Marie” she ordered. The young woman, Marie, nodded and quickly walked inside as the redheaded woman stood before Doyoung and Yuta.

“I'm the homeowner, Paula Winston. What do you want?” she snapped. Doyoung and Yuta glanced at one another before Doyoung cleared his throat.

“Our records indicate there was census taker that was here this morning” he stated. Paula shrugged.

“Yeah, so? Well, what do you need now, a recount?” she sneered. Doyoung sighed.

“He was murdered” he explained. Paula shrugged again.

“I have nothing to say about that” she replied. Yuta’s eyebrows raised slightly before he hummed.

“Okay, well in that case, we'd like to speak with…I believe you said her name was Marie” he stated. Paula crossed her arms.

“What do you want to ask her? She didn't answer the door for him; I did” she snapped before she shook her head.

“You government people. All alike. You're just counting heads so you can raise our taxes. Get off my property!” she ordered, shoving both Doyoung and Yuta. Doyoung’s eyes widened and he stepped forward.

“Okay, Mrs. Winston, you need to calm down. Assaulting a police officer is a crime” he declared. Paula’s eyes widened.

“A police officer?! More like Gestapo. You do not care about the citizens of this country and neither does your census bureau” she shouted before she turned and stormed back towards the house.

“Mrs. Winston!” Yuta called out.

“Go to hell!” Paula shouted back. Doyoung shook his head.

“Mrs. Winston, do not leave town until this investigation—” he started when Paula Winston slammed the door on them. Doyoung and Yuta blinked in shock before Doyoung sighed.

“All right, now what? Shall we backtrack?” he asked, glancing over at Yuta, who nodded.

“Yeah, that's a good idea. He's got another house listed. It's around the corner” he stated as he and Doyoung turned away.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Mark and Donghyuck walked up to one of the two houses that they were supposed to be looking at and looked through the windows, trying to see if anyone was home. Instead, when they looked inside, it looked like a complete and utter train wreck.

“Doesn't look like anybody lives here” Mark mused as he turned away from the door. Donghyuck hummed in agreement before he noticed a sign.

“Oh” he murmured as he reached out and grabbed the sign, holding it up for Mark to see.

“Foreclosure” he stated. Mark nodded.

“Well then the census taker probably saw that too and passed on to that other house” he explained. Donghyuck hummed and shook his head as he walked back up to one of the windows and looked inside.

“Not necessarily. Didn’t Yuta hyung say that there was insulation on the victim's clothes?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Yeah” he replied. Donghyuck motioned to inside the house.

“Insulation coming out of the ceiling tiles” he stated. Mark nodded in agreement.

“And all over the floor in there, too” he added before he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

 _“Lee”_ the voice on the other line answered.

“Hyung, it’s Mark” Mark greeted.

_“Mark, where are you?”_ Taeyong asked.

“Well, I'm at 5493 Evergreen Street. And, there's some insulation here that's consistent with what you pulled off the victim's clothes” Mark replied. Taeyong hummed.

 _“I’m on my way”_ he stated before he hung up. As soon as he hung up, Mark looked over at Donghyuck and nodded, both of them quickly pulling out their guns before Donghyuck stepped forward and kicked the door in, rushing inside with Mark following behind.

“YPD” he shouted as they entered. Once they found that no one was inside, they put away their guns and began looking around.

“Do you smell that? It smells like ammonia” Mark stated before he began to search through the rubbish on the floor. Donghyuck hummed as he walked over to a pile of garbage and began to rummage through it before he pulled out a box.

“Rat poison” he called out before he went back to looking, only to discover a bottle of ammonia.

“Ammonia” he called out. Mark looked over at him before he went back to searching.

“Found some duct tape” he called out. Donghyuck hummed as he continued searching before holding up a glove.

“Latex glove” he stated. Mark frowned as he stood to his feet.

“I think it's safe to say there's something going on in here” he declared. Donghyuck nodded as he walked over to a rather dirty brown looking blanket, sniffing the air above it before wrinkling up his nose.

“I think the ammonia smell is coming from this blanket” he stated. Mark nodded in agreement, just as a glass broke somewhere behind them. He quickly pulled out his gun and started walking towards the sound, Donghyuck right behind him.

“Yadrioria PD!” he called out. When no one answered, they continued to walk towards where they thought the sound was coming from, which was behind a closed wooden door. The two men shared a look before Mark reached out and yanked open the door to reveal what looked to be a clandestine meth lab.

“Woah…we obviously interrupted something” he murmured. 

“Yeah, an active meth lab” Donghyuck replied before the sound of glass breaking caught both of their attentions, making them look up to see that the stove had caught on fire.

“Oh, my god. It's gonna blow” Donghyuck breathed, taking a horrified step back.

“Yeah, which means we gotta go. Go, go, go!” Mark shouted, grabbing Donghyuck’s arm as they both took off, barely making it away from the room before there was an explosion so huge that it sent both detectives to the ground, flames erupting everywhere. When another explosion went off right after it, that explosion was so loud that it knocked off pieces of the ceiling, trapping Donghyuck underneath them and knocking Mark unconscious. After a few minutes, Mark finally woke up, shaking his head before remembering what the hell had just happened.

“Hyuck! Hyuck!” he shouted, pushing himself to his feet as he looked around.

“Hyuck! Donghyuck!” he shouted again before noticing Donghyuck trapped under a large piece of ceiling.

“Hyuck!” he exclaimed as he ran over to him, looking at him in horror.

“Hyuck, are you okay?” he demanded. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, I can't move! I'm stuck! Mark, I’m stuck!” he cried. Mark bit his lip as he quickly started to move smaller pieces off of Donghyuck, afraid that he wasn’t going to be fast enough to get Donghyuck out of there.

“Alright, alright. I'll get you out” he soothed as he started to try and lift the heaviest part of the ceiling.

“Go Mark! Just go!” Donghyuck shouted. Mark shook his head.

“I’m not going to leave you, Hyuck! No way in Hell!” he shouted back, eyes glowing purple as he used his supernatural strength to lift the heavy piece off of Donghyuck before reaching down and taking him by the hand.

“Come on, Hyuck. Let’s get out of here” he urge as he and Donghyuck rushed out of the house, just as the fire consumed it. As they were running away from the house, Taeyong came running towards them.

“Mark! Donghyuck!” he exclaimed, looking his two CSIs over.

“Are you alright?” he demanded. Mark nodded as Donghyuck leaned heavily against him.

“We’re fine” he assured, just as Doyoung and Yuta ran up to them.

“What happened?” Doyoung demanded, looking at Donghyuck and Mark with worried eyes. Taeyong looked over at him.

“Mark and Donghyuck got caught in an active meth lab that exploded” he replied. Yuta and Doyoung looked between Mark, who looked dirty and singed, and Donghyuck, who looked like he was about to pass out any second, before they sighed.

“At least you’re alright” Doyoung breathed, just as the paramedics walked up.

“We’ll take it from here, sir” one of them stated. Taeyong nodded and gently guided Donghyuck and Mark over to the paramedics, who carefully led both men over to the ambulance, Doyoung and Yuta following behind them.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at the ambulance, Mark and Donghyuck were getting looked at while Doyoung and Yuta hovered protectively.

“Mark?” Donghyuck croaked. Mark looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah?” he replied. Donghyuck smiled weakly at him.

“Thank you. You were really brave in there” he croaked. Mark chuckled.

“You’re welcome. You were really brave too” he replied. Doyoung looked at both of the young men and smiled.

“You both were very brave. And I’m very proud of you” he praised. Mark and Donghyuck looked over at him, smiling weakly, before Donghyuck cleared his throat.

“As soon as we’re done here, I want to go back to the crime scene” he declared. Mark, Yuta, and Doyoung looked at him in shock.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, kid” Yuta argued. Donghyuck frowned.

“But I feel fine. And besides, I don't want to leave this case” he replied. Doyoung shook his head.

“Sorry Donghyuck, but I think it would be in your best interest if you get properly checked out” he stated before he looked over at Mark.

“You too, Mark” he added, giving him a look when he opened his mouth to say argue. He then looked back at Donghyuck and smiled slightly.

“Besides, I think it would put Taeyong’s mind at ease to know that his CSIs are alright” he explained. Donghyuck opened his mouth to argue when he promptly snapped it shut.

“Alright, fine. I guess we can go to the hospital” he grumbled. Yuta chuckled.

“Good man. Come on, I’ll take you and Mark” he offered, holding out his hands to the two men, which they took gratefully.

~*~*~*~*~

After they left, Taeyong walked over to Doyoung and placed his hands on his hips.

“So, a census taker walks into a meth house, ends up dead in the trunk of someone's car” he murmured. 

“By fumes or something worse. We need to determine who the owner of record is” Doyoung declared. Taeyong nodded.

“I’ll call Jaehyun” he stated before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Doyoung headed across the street to Marie, who was looking at the scene before her with wide eyes as she stood next to Mrs. Winston’s car, which she had been cleaning.

“Marie. Can we help you with something?” he asked gently, trying not to spook the girl.

“That explosion…was anyone in the house? Was anyone hurt?” Marie demanded, looking into his eyes, her own brown eyes fearful. Doyoung smiled slightly.

“There was somebody in the house, but they're going to be fine” he assured. Marie said nothing, but her face said something else, making Doyoung frown.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concern in his eyes. Marie looked up at him and smiled weakly.

“I was just frightened by the sound” she answered. Doyoung hummed before he crossed his arms.

“Do you ever see anybody coming in and out of that house?” he asked. Marie shook her head.

“No” she answered. Doyoung frowned.

“Never?” he asked. Marie bit her lip before she shook her head.

“I have to get back to work. If Mrs. Winston catches me here talking to you—” she started when Doyoung waved his hand and summoned a business card, holding it out to the girl.

“Here's my card. If you think of anything that might help, feel free to call me” he suggested, smiling gently. Marie looked at him before she nodded and walked back into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	24. Case 4: Count Me Out - Part 3

Back at the crime lab, Jaehyun was walking down the hallway when Yuta rushed over to him after dropping Donghyuck and Mark off at the hospital.

“Hey, Jaehyun” he called out, making the man stop and look over at him.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“I heard you found the owner on record for the meth house” Yuta stated. Jaehyun sighed.

“What's left of it. Bank took it a few months ago. Previous owner was Edward Hensler” he explained.

“So, he was related to our kid, Kevin Hensler” Yuta mused.

“Yeah, Mr. Innocent. It turned out it was his father. That kid lived in that house” Jaehyun explained. Yuta hummed.

“Yeah, well, that's good to know” he murmured before he decided to go have a little chat with Kevin.

~*~*~*~*~

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything” the young man, Kevin Hensler, argued. Yuta shook his head and placed his hands on his hips.

“No, Kevin, no. Not this time, okay? We found a dead guy in the trunk of your car. He was killed in a house that you lived in” he growled. Kevin looked at him before he sighed.

“My dad bailed on the payments just like he bailed on me. Okay, I-I haven't been back to that house since. I got my own place” he explained. Yuta hummed as he held up an evidence bag full of keys.

“Do these look familiar?” he asked. Kevin glanced up at them before quickly looking away. Yuta hummed again, brown eyes hard.

“They're yours. Are you telling me one of these won't open the front door?” he snarled. Kevin flinched at his tone before he sighed deeply.

“Look, I'm good at chemistry, okay? I aced my finals. This guy, Tek, he – he was a messenger at the university. He said he'd pay me good money if I cooked meth” he explained. Yuta frowned and moved his hands from his hips to in front of his chest.

“So, this guy, Tek, was a drug dealer” he stated. Kevin nodded.

“Yeah, a good one. Keeps me working” he explained. 

“He was in the car with you?” Yuta asked. Kevin gulped and shook his head.

“I – I – I don't know his real name” he admitted. Yuta raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“You don't know his real name? Is he the one who killed the census worker?” he questioned. Kevin looked up at him with pleading green eyes.

“I told you. I – I didn't see what happened to that guy. I didn't even know he was in the trunk” he exclaimed.

“You say you're a smart guy. So, where do you think this guy, Tek, would go if he was running scared?” Yuta asked. Kevin hummed, thinking.

“I – I – I remember him once saying that he had another meth lab” he answered. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“And where is that?” he demanded.

“Elando Point. Near the marina” Kevin answered. Yuta nodded before he turned on his heels, stopping by Sicheng’s lab to bring him along for the ride before heading out.

~*~*~*~*~

After Yuta got the tip that Tek might be at the marina, he, Sicheng, and a few other police officers pulled out their guns and slowly started to walk towards the open gate, caution in every step.

“There could be an active meth lab in here, folks. We can't afford a spark of any kind. Cellphones off” Sicheng ordered as he and Yuta turned off their own phones. The officers followed Sicheng’s instructions and turned off their phones before they continued inside the warehouse.

“Tek? YPD. Show yourself!” Yuta shouted as he, Sicheng, and the police officers advanced into the warehouse. They continued to walk and still had no reply from Yuta’s first call.

“Tek?” Yuta called again.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the foreclosed house, Donghyuck and Mark, who had been checked by a proper doctor and had been declared “fine”, were looking at the pieces of equipment that were pulled from the meth lab. As they looked over the table of evidence, Mark noticed what looked like to be a singed piece of a clock and picked it up.

“Is that a clock?” Donghyuck asked as he looked down at the item in Mark’s hand.

“Yeah” Mark answered, handing it over for him to look at. Donghyuck took it from him and studied it before he blinked, eyes widening as he grasped a thin piece of copper wire between his fingers.

“Mark, this copper wire could lead to a time-delay device” he stated. Mark eyes widened before he gritted his teeth.

“This wasn't a chemical explosion” he growled as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

_“This is Yuta, leave a message”_ Yuta’s voicemail answered.

“I'm getting voice mail” Mark stated, looking at Donghyuck before he cleared his throat.

“Yuta hyung? Call me immediately. These places are rigged to blow” he ordered while Donghyuck pulled out his phone and dialed another number.

“Sicheng hyung, it’s Donghyuck. Uh, 911. You got to call me back right away. These meth labs, they got bombs in them” he stated before he looked at Mark.

“Call the bomb squad. Call them immediately” he ordered. Mark nodded and quickly dialed the bomb squad number while Donghyuck paced back and forth, worried for his friends.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the warehouse, Sicheng and Yuta opened the door to where the lab was hidden and slowly stepped inside. They looked around for any sign of Tek before Yuta walked over to the gate that enclosed the meth lab and carefully opened the lock, pulling the gate door open.

“What’s that sound?” Sicheng hissed. Yuta looked over at him and shook his head before he stepped into the meth lab and looked around.

“I don't know. But I do know a meth lab kitchen when I see one” he declared as he continued to look around. Sicheng cautiously followed him inside, noticing a shiny piece of fishing line that was pulled taut on the floor. 

“Jackpot. Some high-end beakers here” Yuta murmured as he examined the kitchen. While he was examining the kitchen, Sicheng’s eyes followed the fishing line until they fell on a clock right behind Yuta’s head.

“Pipe bomb!” he exclaimed, raising his gun, making Yuta look up at him in shock.

“Winko, what the hell are you doing?” he shouted, since from where he was standing, it looked like Sicheng was pointing his gun at him.

“Move! Yuta move!” Sicheng shouted before he pulled the trigger on his gun, firing at the clock. Yuta’s eyes widened and he immediately hit the floor, covering his ears as Sicheng’s bullets hit the intended target. When the clock was destroyed, Sicheng lowered his gun before he rushed over to Yuta and knelt down next to him.

“Yuta! Are you alright?” he demanded, looking at his boyfriend with wide eyes. Yuta nodded as he removed his hands from his ears, letting out a low hiss.

“Yeah, fine. Just…wasn’t expecting it, that’s all” he explained as he took Sicheng’s outstretched hand and was helped to his feet. Sicheng then reached out and gently placed a hand on Yuta’s cheek, making the man lean into the gentle touch before pulling away.

“I’m fine, baby. I promise” he assured. Sicheng was quiet before he nodded and turned, looking down at the fishing line that was no longer taut.

“Look at that. There's monofilament leading to this mousetrap. It was pulled when you opened the gate” he stated. Yuta hummed as he crossed his arms.

“The current traveled along the minute hand” he mused. Sicheng nodded.

Yeah, if it would have touched the metal—” he started.

“The circuit would have closed. Ka-boom” Yuta finished. Sicheng hummed as he studied the pipe bomb.

“They had the clock acting like a time-delay detonator. I bet you it was the same signature used with Donghyuck and Mark” he deduced. Yuta shook his head and let out a low whistle.

“Hell of a way to protect your meth lab” he murmured. Sicheng nodded.

“And kill anyone who was on to you” he added before he turned and walked out of the lab. Yuta watched him leave and put a hand on his chest, trying to still his fast beating heart before following after him. Too much excitement for him for one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	25. Case 4: Count Me Out - Part 4

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong was standing before Kevin in the interrogation room, absolutely livid.

“So, you set my team up and almost got them killed, Kevin” he snarled. Kevin looked up at him shock.

“What?” he exclaimed.

“You knew that place would blow when we walked in” Sicheng spat from where he was standing behind Kevin. Kevin looked behind at him and shook his head, eyes wide and scared.

“I thought Tek might be there. I was trying to help” he cried. Taeyong narrowed his eyes at him, eyes still glowing red.

“I want to know who killed the census taker” he growled. Kevin looked away and refused to answer, so Taeyong just crossed his arms, running low on patience.

“Kevin” he deadpanned, his tone of voice offering no sympathy what-so-ever.

“Okay, okay. I messed up –” Kevin started.

**“** **DON’T LIE TO ME!”** Taeyong roared, making Kevin flinch and Sicheng look up at him, eyes wide with shock. Kevin whimpered before he shook his head.

“I messed up” he croaked before he went on to tell them how Christopher Perez had come to the house and when he had tried to dissuade him from coming inside, Tek had shouted at him to let him in. Once he let Christopher in, Tek came up behind him and whacked him over the head with a crowbar, sending him to the ground.

“He then told me to tie him up and place him in the meth lab” he explained. Sicheng shook his head as he looked at Kevin.

“What are you, an idiot? You locked him in the same room where you were cooking meth?” he spat. Kevin looked up at him, green eyes teary.

“Tek said he needed time to figure out what to do with him. When I…When I went back in the room, he was dead” he cried. Sicheng and Taeyong said nothing, just stared at the young man with hard brown and glowing red eyes.

“I – I didn't mean to kill him. He was only in there a half an hour” Kevin whimpered. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“Half an hour?” he repeated, a skeptical look on his face. Kevin nodded.

“Thirty minutes, yeah” he exclaimed.

“So you two decided to take a drive and dump the body” Taeyong interrupted calmly. Kevin looked at him and shook his head.

“No. He made me do it. He had a gun to me, remember? I was afraid of telling you.I was afraid he was gonna come after me again” he exclaimed. Sicheng scoffed and crossed his arms.

“Well, he's not gonna come after you in here, kid” he sneered before he growled.

“Talk!” he shouted, making Kevin flinch again. The young man sniffled and shook his head.

“If Tek wasn't at the lab, I don't know where he is” he stated. 

**“Kevin** **”** Taeyong started darkly, making the young man look up at him. Taeyong looked back at him, eyes glowing red.

**“** **You better hope, and I mean hope, that I find him, okay?”** he snarled before he walked over to where Sicheng was standing by the window.

“A half hour. Fumes would take 12 hours to—” Sicheng started.

**“** **The timeline is bogus, isn't it?”** Taeyong interrupted darkly, glancing over at him. Sicheng nodded in agreement.

“Yeah” he answered.

**“** **Let's check with tox”** Taeyong ordered before he walked out of the interrogation room, Sicheng at his heels.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong and Sicheng then walked down to the morgue, where Taeil was now standing by the victim’s body. The fallen angel looked up at them and smiled.

“Taeyong. Sicheng. What can I do for you?” he asked.

“Our suspect said that our victim was only in the meth lab for half an hour before he died. Is he lying?” Taeyong demanded. Taeil blinked before he shook his head again.

“No, he’s not. Our census worker died a relatively quick death. Half hour” he stated as he picked up Christopher’s autopsy report. Sicheng frowned before he shook his head.

“Wait, wait. Your report said he died from chemical asphyxiation caused by phosphate and gas” he reminded. Taeil looked up from the report and nodded.

“Byproduct of the rat poison in the meth, yes” he replied. Taeyong shook his head this time.

“That takes 12 hours to kill a person” he stated. Taeil smirked.

“Not when it's digested” he countered. Taeyong and Sicheng looked at him in shock.

“Digested? What are you talking about?” Sicheng demanded. Taeil hummed as he put down the autopsy report before picking up the toxicology report, holding it out for Sicheng and Taeyong to see.

“He ate it?” Taeyong breathed, looking up from the report at Taeil, who nodded.

“Correct” he replied before he shook his head.

“I knew the lividity didn't track! The resulting gas was absorbed by his gastrointestinal tract. From there, it fed directly into his bloodstream” he explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“Which killed him in only half an hour” he murmured before he huffed in slight amusement.

“So the kid was telling the truth” he mused. Taeil smiled and crossed his arms.

“I trust I've put you closer to finding your killer?” he asked. Sicheng and Taeyong looked at him and nodded.

“Yes, Taeil, thank you” Taeyong thanked before he turned and walked out, Sicheng following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in Mark’s lab, Mark was looking over the bombsite photos when Donghyuck walked in.

“Mark” he called out, making Mark jump again before turning to look at him.

“You really need to stop sneaking up on me” he stated. Donghyuck smirked before he walked over and stood next to him.

“So, what are we working on over here?” he inquired.

“I was looking over the bomb site photos. I'm trying to find a way to this Tek guy” Mark replied. Donghyuck hummed and scooted closer to Mark so that their shoulders were touching, making Mark blush. As they looked over the photos, one of the workers walked over to the entrance of the lab and knocked.

“Mark” they called out. Mark and Donghyuck turned to look at him as he held out a clipboard. 

“Heard you wanted the evidence from the blast at the meth house” he stated. Mark nodded.

“Yeah, I do. Why don't we put it over there?” he suggested, pointing to a corner of the lab. The worker nodded before he pushed the stack of boxes that he had brought on a cart over to the corner, just as a woman pushed a cart full of meth lab equipment walked in.

“You know what? Let's take all of the oversized stuff and put it in the clean room in the garage for now” Donghyuck instructed, looking at the woman, who nodded in response.

“No problem” she replied, about to turn the cart away when Mark threw out an arm.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, making the woman and Donghyuck look at him with raised eyebrows.

“What is it?” Donghyuck asked as Mark walked over to lab equipment and pulled away the saranwrap before reaching in and pulling out a tattered piece of cloth.

“Didn't see that rag in there” the woman murmured. Mark shook his head.

“I don't know that it's a rag” he replied before turning to Donghyuck.

“What do you think?” he asked. Donghyuck summoned a pair of gloves and slipped them onto his hands before taking the scrap of cloth from him.

“Looks like it could be silk. Handkerchief maybe” he mused. Mark nodded before he looked over at the woman.

“I'm gonna keep this with me” he declared. The woman nodded before she back out of the room, taking the equipment with her. Once she was gone, Donghyuck looked at Mark with a raised eyebrow.

“What exactly are you planning on doing with that scrap?” he asked. Mark looked over at him and smiled slightly.

“Would you mind doing me a favor and take this over to Doyoung hyung? He and Yuta hyung went and talked to different houses than we did, so maybe he might recognize this head scarf from one of the houses. Or at least ask one of the homeowners about it” he answered as he handed the scarf to Donghyuck. Donghyuck nodded before he bowed low.

“Your wish is my command” he declared. Mark chuckled and turned back to look at the crime scene photos when Donghyuck walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch.

“Are you sure you’re alright Mark? I mean, I know you should be the one asking me that, since I got trapped under those pieces of the ceiling, but you also had to pull me out of that burning meth house. That’s got to be a little traumatic” he stated gently. Mark looked over at him, eyes wide, before he nodded.

“I’m fine, Hyuck, really. I assure you, I am” he replied. Donghyuck nodded before he gripped Mark’s shoulder tightly, making Mark look into his eyes.

“But if you’re not, please, say something” he murmured. Mark nodded.

“You’ll be the first person I talk to” he assured. Donghyuck smiled before he leaned forward and pecked Mark on the cheek, making Mark blush as he walked away from him, waving goodbye in the process.

“Bye!” he bid. Mark watched him leave, slowly reaching up to touch the place where Donghyuck had kissed with light fingers, almost as if he couldn’t believe that Donghyuck would do such a thing. Not that he disliked it, oh no, he was just surprised, that’s all.

~*~*~*~*~

After Donghyuck had left Mark’s lab with a small smile on his face (he was rather proud that he mustered up enough balls to kiss him on the cheek), he headed towards Doyoung’s lab, making the ballistics’ expert look up at him as he walked inside.

“Something I can help you with, Donghyuck?” he asked with a small smile on his face. Donghyuck nodded and pulled the scrap of scarf out of his pocket.

“Does this look familiar to you at all?” he asked. Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“It does, actually. Where did you find it?” he replied. 

“Mark gave it to me. He found it mixed among the meth lab equipment” Donghyuck explained. Doyoung hummed as he summoned a pair of gloves and slipped them on, holding out his hand.

“May I?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded and handed the scrap over to him, who stared at it with narrowed eyes.

“I take it that you recognize it?” Donghyuck asked, crossing his arms. Doyoung looked up at him and nodded.

“Not this particular scrap, but I do know someone who wears silk headscarves” he explained. He then set the scrap down and took off his gloves before he headed to the entrance of his lab, pausing to look over his shoulder at Donghyuck.

“Are you coming? I feel like the woman I am about to speak with will be much more willing to listen to what I have to say if you’re around” he explained. Donghyuck nodded before he followed after Doyoung, the two heading towards the crime scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> Also, fucking go listen to Dream's Ridin'. Fucking go listen to it right now. Stream it everywhere. Go. Right now.


	26. Case 4: Count Me Out - Part 5

When Donghyuck and Doyoung arrived at Mrs. Winston’s house, Doyoung walked up to the door and knocked on it, patiently waiting for the woman to open the door. When she opened the door and saw who knocked, she scowled.

“Ugh, no, I’m not dealing with you people anymore” she grumbled, making to close the door when Donghyuck stepped forward.

“Ma’am, you **will** come out here and speak to us” he growled, eyes flicking to black. Mrs. Winston’s eyes widened before she slowly opened the door and stepped outside, standing before the two men.

“Alright, what do you want?” she demanded.

“We would like to speak to Marie back at the crime lab, if that is alright with you” Doyoung answered. Mrs. Winston looked at him in shock.

“What? No. Marie's not going anywhere” she snapped. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Ma’am, we have evidence linking her to a murder” he explained. Mrs. Winston looked at him and shook her head.

“That census guy? That's-that's impossible. She never left my sight” she explained. Doyoung sighed.

“Mrs. Winston, please –” he started when Mrs. Winston shook her head again.

“No, if I say she’s not going anywhere, she’s not going anywhere” she spat. Doyoung took a step forward when Donghyuck grabbed his wrist, making him pause.

“Donghyuck?” he whispered, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow. Donghyuck didn’t answer him as he looked at Mrs. Winston, eyes blacker than night.

**“** **Ma’am, are you going to bring her out here or do I have to go and get her myself?”** he asked calmly, a threat very evident in his tone. Mrs. Winston gulped and shook her head, quickly heading back inside to get Marie. As soon as she was gone, Doyoung turned to look at Donghyuck appreciatively.

“Impressive. I’ve never seen you so…dangerous, before” he mused. Donghyuck smiled.

“I’m an enigma, hyung. There are many things you don’t know about me” he replied.

Doyoung rolled his eyes as Mrs. Winston appeared, Marie right behind her. Doyoung then motioned for Marie to follow him as they walked back to the Hummer, leaving Donghyuck behind with Mrs. Winston.

“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Winston” he thanked before he followed after Marie and Doyoung, leaving the poor redheaded woman to shudder in fear of the two detectives, mainly Donghyuck.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Donghyuck went to go deal with some paperwork so Doyoung brought Marie to the interrogation room and had her sit down in front of him.

“Marie, I was wondering if this is your headscarf. I notice that you wear one” he stated as he waved his hand and summoned a photo of the scarf that Mark had found, holding it out for the girl to look at. When Marie saw the photo, she shrugged.

“It might be” she replied, looking at Doyoung, who just gave her a knowing look back.

Marie then sighed.

“Yes” she admitted. Doyoung nodded and put the photo away before he leaned back in the chair.

“Okay. We found it at house next door where Christopher Perez was killed” he explained. Marie looked at him before she looked away.

“I accidentally left it at that house. I don't know Christopher Perez. I was there to see Kevin” she admitted. Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“Kevin Hensler?” he asked. Marie nodded.

“Yes. He used to live there before the bank took it away. He came back to help me” she explained. Doyoung frowned and crossed his arms.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Marie, how is it that you came to work with Mrs. Winston?” he asked, knowing that this was touchy territory. Marie sighed.

“My family's in Haiti. Mrs. Winston told my mother that she would send me to school in exchange for housekeeping, but all I do is cook and clean. I'm not even allowed to read my Bible. And if I complain she'll send me on a boat to Haiti” she explained, tears coming to her eyes. Doyoung’s frown deepened as he waved his hand and summoned a handkerchief.

“And away from Kevin?” he suspected as he handed the handkerchief over to the girl. Marie took it gratefully, wiping her eyes, before looking into Doyoung’s brown ones.

“What's going to happen to Kevin?” she asked softly. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don’t know. We’re investigating the drug dealer he was working with” he explained.

“Tek” Marie spat, voice and face full of disgust. Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“You know him?” he asked, surprised. Marie nodded.

“He treated Kevin badly. The last time he saw me, he tried to—” she started before she shuddered and shut her eyes. Doyoung let out a low growl before he leaned forward, gently reaching out and placing a hand on Marie’s knee.

“Marie, I know you don’t want to remember, but can you remember what he said or did to you?” he asked gently. Marie opened her eyes and looked down at him, nodding slightly.

“He came up to me and said “ _Oh, yeah, you must be good, huh? I got Kevin telling me he wants to stop cooking for me, so he can run away with you.”_ He then grabbed me, and I told him to get off of me. He then twisted my arm and pulled me close, whispering in my ear _“I have all the girls in Bayfront lining up for me”._ I then shook him off and walked back to the house, but I can sometimes still feel him on me” she whispered. Doyoung smiled softly as he leaned back, trying to remain as non-threatening as possible.

“You said Bayfront, did you not?” he asked. Marie nodded.

“Yes” she replied. Doyoung nodded and summoned a pad and pen, scribbling down “Bayfront” before looking back up at the young woman.

“Thank you Marie” he thanked, a warm smile on his face. Marie smiled and nodded before she stood up and allowed herself to be escorted out by a police officer. Once she had left, Doyoung pulled out his phone.

“Taeyong, the drug dealer. I know where to find him” he declared into the phone before he hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

After Doyoung told Taeyong where Tek was located, he grabbed Jaehyun and soon the two headed down to the Bayfront, where they found Tek selling a packet of meth to someone. As soon as they arrived, Tek’s eyes widened and he dashed off, but Jaehyun was too fast, jumping out of the Lamborghini and sprinting after the drug dealer before tackling him to the ground and reaching into his pocket, pulling out his wallet, which he then tossed to Taeyong as he stood before the two.

“So you’re Tek” Jaehyun snarled down at the man.

“Or plain old Robert Sperling” Taeyong read, looking at Tek’s driver’s license before looking down at Jaehyun.

“Get him up, please” he instructed. Jaehyun nodded and yanked Tek to his feet, clutching at his wrists so tightly that he could have broken bone.

“Yeah, that's me. So what?” Tek spat, glaring at Taeyong. Jaehyun didn’t particularly like his tone, so he tightened his grip on Tek’s wrist, making the man cry out in pain.

“You’re breaking my wrist, man” he exclaimed. Jaehyun snarled as he leaned down close to the man’s ear.

“I could break a lot more if you don’t shut up. You’re lucky I didn’t break your neck” he hissed. Tek scoffed.

“For what, hanging out in the park?” he sneered. 

“For murder” Taeyong interjected, brown eyes cold. Tek looked over at him and scoffed again.

“Yeah, I think you should talk to Kevin Hensler about that one” he stated. Jaehyun chuckled mirthlessly.

“We have. He gave us your life story in paperback. Slinging meth, bodies in trunks. It was a real page turner” he sneered, glaring down at the man gripped tightly in his hands.

“Look, he killed that guy, all right? Because he was afraid the feds were gonna deport his little piece of tail, and that's the truth” Tek snapped. Taeyong shook his head.

“That's not the whole truth, my friend” he stated before he looked at Jaehyun and nodded. The Sentinel returned the nod before he yanked Tek away, nearly ripping the man’s arm out of his socket as he did so. Taeyong huffed in amusement before he pulled out his phone and dialed a number before putting it to his ear.

“Yeah, Doyoung, the scarf we're processing—” he started.

_“_ _Sicheng should have them by now”_ Doyoung replied. 

“Good” Taeyong deadpanned before he hung up and walked back to the Lamborghini, where Jaehyun was waiting inside, and got inside before heading back to the crime lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	27. Case 4: Count Me Out - CASE CLOSED

Back in the crime lab, down in Sicheng’s lab, Sicheng took Marie’s headscarf and snipped off a small piece before placing it into a small microcentrifuge tube and filling it up with 100L of DI water. He then placed it into a centrifuge and let it spin for a moment before the machine printed out the contents of the scrap.

“Winwin” Taeyong called out as he entered the lab. Sicheng looked up and smiled slightly; Taeyong was the only one who ever called him “Winwin”.

“Taeyong hyung” he replied as Taeyong walked over to him.

“Biologicals on the scarf” Taeyong stated, crossing his arms. Sicheng nodded and handed him over the sheet.

“Yes, saliva. The victim's saliva” he confirmed. Taeyong hummed as he stared down at the data sheet.

“Saliva, so it may have been used as a gag” he mused. Sicheng nodded.

“And laced in rat poison” he added. Taeyong frowned.

“Can you put it in someone's hand?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“No, I struck out on fingerprints” he replied before he sighed.

“I already told Doyoung it was going to be impossible” he explained. Taeyong chuckled and shook his head as he looked Sicheng in the eye.

“Winwin, nothing is impossible” he declared before he walked out of the lab. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong left Sicheng’s lab, he head over to one of the empty labs, calling Mark in to help him with the test.

“I never heard of gold dust being used to lift prints” Mark stated as Taeyong took the destroyed headscarf out of the evidence bag and placed it into a machine.

“Yes, it's called Vapor Metal Deposition” he explained as he unscrewed the cap from a bottle of gold dust.

“So, the dust is attracted to the oils?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong looked up at him and nodded as he began to sprinkle the gold dust over the scarf in the machine.

“Right. We heat the metal to the point of evaporation and then the gold dust attaches to the fingerprint, forming a thin coat” he explained as he finished sprinkling the dust. He then placed the bottle down, set the right temperature on the machine, then turned it on. Mark and Taeyong waited for a few moments before Mark’s eyes widened.

“Woah, it’s working” he breathed. Taeyong nodded as he took the destroyed headscarf out and placed it on the table before them, studying the prints that the dust had stuck to.

“It looks like we got partials now” Mark mused. Taeyong hummed before a thought struck him.

“Yes, but what if all of these partials are from the same finger?” he theorized as she moved the two pieces together to create a single fingerprint. Mark raised an eyebrow before he shrugged and grabbed the camera, taking a picture of the scarf before walking over to one of the computers in the lab, plugging the camera into the USB port.

“Let's compare this to our two suspects” he murmured as he pulled up the fingerprint database, running the photo fingerprint through the database before it came up with Tek’s photo.

“Yes. Nice going” Taeyong praised before he turned and walked out of the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the lab, Taeyong dragged Tek’s pathetic and worthless ass out of the holding cell and into the interrogation room.

“We recovered your fingerprint from the gag that killed Christopher Perez, and we believe that you manipulated Kevin into thinking he killed Christopher to have something on him” Taeyong stated, crossing his arms. Tek said nothing as he looked down at the interrogation desk.

“Talk, Tek” Taeyong snarled, eyes glowing red. Tek looked up at him and huffed.

“Yeah, well, I needed him cooking for me and not dating the maid next door. You got to protect the product” he explained. Taeyong narrowed his eyes at the man.

“And by protection, you mean bomb making, right?” he snarled. Tek shrugged.

“Discourages competition. You'd be surprised at the type of respect you get when one of those goes off” he replied proudly. Taeyong said nothing before he smiled slowly, making Tek shiver. There was something in his smile that just made him feel uneasy.

“Not unlike the surprise you've got coming in prison” he stated before he looked over at one of the police officers and nodded. Tek was then dragged out of the room and once he was gone, Taeyong followed, walking around to the other side of the glass to where Kevin was waiting.

“I didn't kill that man?” he breathed, looking at him in shock. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, but the drug making is a first-degree felony” he stated softly. Kevin frowned before he looked into Taeyong’s brown eyes.

“What about Marie? I promised I'd get her out of that house” he explained. Taeyong chuckled and shook his head.

“Don’t worry. We’re working on that” he replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

~*~*~*~*~

“False imprisonment?!” Paula Winston exclaimed as she glared at Jaehyun, who stood before her with his arms crossed, a look of pure annoyance on his face.

“Yes, ma’am, false imprisonment” he repeated. Mrs. Winston shook her head and growled.

“I should have put her on the slow boat to Haiti when I had the chance” she spat. Jaehyun was the one to growl this time, making Mrs. Winston look at him in shock, for his growl was so strong and loud that it shook the very earth beneath their feet.

“What you should have done is treat her with basic human dignity” he snarled. Mrs. Winston scoffed.

“While she sneaks out for nooky with the local drug dealer?” she exclaimed. Jaehyun rolled his eyes before he looked over at one of the local police officers that Taeyong had assigned to go with him.

“Cuff her please” he ordered. Mrs. Wintson’s eyes widened and she began to struggle against the officer as she tried to put the handcuffs on her.

“Get your hands off of me!” she exclaimed. 

**“** **Alright, look lady!”** Jaehyun snarled, making Mrs. Winston look at him in shock again, this time because his eyes were white, not brown.

**“** **If you don’t get into that car without further incident, then I am happy to add resisting arrest to your rap sheet”** he snarled. Mrs. Winston scoffed.

“Remember, I pay your salary” she sneered as she was dragged away. Jaehyun sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched Mrs. Winston get shoved into the squad car before being driven away.

“Then I deserve a goddamn raise” he muttered to himself before he snapped his fingers, transporting himself back to the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

After arresting Tek, Kevin was led out of the crime lab and down to a squad car, past Taeyong, who was watching with something close to sympathy. As he watched the officer lead him away, Marie stepped away from the officer that she was with and stood before Kevin, tears in her eyes. The young man and young woman looked at one another before looking over at Taeyong, who nodded his consent to let them have their last words together.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry” Marie apologized, tears in her voice and eyes as she gently caressed Kevin’s face. Kevin looked down at her and shook his head, tears in his own eyes.

“No. It was never your fault. Don't ever think that” he instructed softly before he was led away and placed into the squad car. Marie watched with wide, teary brown eyes as the man she loved was taken away. She then turned and walked back over to Taeyong, tears now streaming down her face.

“Is he going to be okay?” she whimpered. Taeyong nodded.

“He's going to be okay” he assured before he cleared his throat.

“I’ve arranged for a dormitory stay at Yadrioria U., and we’re working on your student visa” he stated gently. Marie looked at him, surprised and a little shocked.

“Will I actually be able to go to school now?” she whispered, almost as if she couldn’t believe it. Taeyong nodded, completely serious.

“You’ll go to school” he confirmed. Marie continued to look at him in shock before she let out a little laugh, giddy with excitement. Taeyong watched her with a small smile on his face, happy that one good thing came out of this entire mess.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	28. Case 5: Hell Night - Part 1

It was a dark and stormy night as a small van drove through the pouring rain towards a large and luxurious mansion, where a horrible murder had taken place a few years ago. As they were heading to the house, one of the people in the van leaned over to another person to speak to them.

“I can't believe we're actually going to be inside his house” she whispered.

“No talking, people” State Attorney Bob Villa boomed, making the young woman who spoke slink back into her seat. As they continued along the road, a young man dripping in blood quickly ran out in front of the van, making the driver slam on the brakes. Everyone stared at the young man with wide eyes until other kids dressed in costumes ran out in to the road after him, all of them making their way across. That’s when everyone in the van knew what day it was: October 31st otherwise known as Halloween. Soon the bus arrived at the mansion and when they stopped, everyone got out of the bus, looking around suspiciously before they followed after Bob, who had gone first. 

“All right, folks, you all know the ground rules. No talking to each other, no touching anything in the house. Stay with the group” he ordered, just as a white van pulled up and a short Hispanic man stepped out of the van.

“What's he doing here?” one of the people demanded.

“He's coming with us” Bob replied.

“That’s creepy” another person grumbled.

“Mr. Lopez has a right to be here. He's entitled to see any evidence presented in his case. Follow me, please” Bob ordered as he turned and headed towards the mansion. The short Hispanic man, Mr. Lopez, looked over at another man in a suit, his lawyer, before they followed after the group of people, who were actually the jurors in his case.

~*~*~*~*~

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury in the matter of The State of Yadrioria vs Donny Lopez, the People will show that, on the night of January 16 the defendant entered his residence at 1620 Silver Strand a residence you will be visiting during the course of this trial” Bob began as the jurors began to look around the main floor of the large mansion.

“On the night in question, Donny Lopez was confronted by his wife, Miranda. They argued about the defendant's infidelity; a contention supported by a long auburn hair found on the defendant by the Crime Lab. That argument quickly became physical and was witnessed through a window by a neighbor who will testify that she saw Miranda Lopez just moments before her brutal murder” Bob continued.

“Miranda Lopez was stabbed twice. She had defensive wounds on her hands. She was fighting for her life. A fight that she lost. She bled to death on the kitchen floor while her children slept upstairs. Donny Lopez waited a half hour to call 911. First, he tried to clean up—” Bob continued before a loud scream and thud was heard.

“What was that?” one of the jurors asked, quickly hurrying into another room to see a young woman having a seizure on the floor.

“What's wrong with her?” one of the jurors exclaimed.

“I think she's having some kind of seizure” another one of the jurors replied as he walked over and knelt beside the young woman.

“What happened? Is everyone okay?” Bob demanded as he rushed into the living room where the jurors had gathered around the seizing juror.

“Shouldn't we call a doctor?” a juror asked.

“Uh, I'll call the paramedics” Bob replied as he pulled out his phone.

“Let's give her some room, people. In the kitchen, now!” he ordered. The jurors nodded and quickly headed into the kitchen, only to find Danny Lopez on the floor, a meat cleaver lodged in the back of his head, with a piece of paper draped over his body with the words “guilty” written on them.

“Oh my God!” one of the jurors shrieked.

~*~*~*~*~

Not too long after, Taeyong and his team arrived on scene.

“What do we have here?” he asked, glancing over at Jaehyun, who stood beside him in the kitchen.

“Donny Lopez, Yadrioria's star shortstop. Batted left, stabbed his wife with his right.

Court-sanctioned field trip. State Attorney wanted the jurors to see the crime scene” Jaehyun replied. Taeyong huffed.

“Now they've seen two. What about witness statements?” he asked.

“So far, just a lot of confusion. Jury only had one more week before deliberations” Jaehyun answered. Taeyong shook his head.

“No need now. The verdict is in” he deadpanned. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeil came in to assess what the hell had happened.

“Vic got hit from behind. Never saw it coming” he stated, looking up at Taeyong.

“The lights were out, Taeil, because they were recreating the Miranda Lopez murder for the jury” he explained. Taeil hummed.

“Made it easy for someone to sneak in, lie in wait” he mused. Just then, Mark walked in, slipping on gloves.

“Patrol is canvassing the neighborhood. See if anyone witnessed suspicious activity around the house” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Sounds good. You take the kitchen. I'll take out front” he declared before he looked at Taeil.

“Thank you Taeil” he thanked before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Mark looked around before he noticed the butcher’s block full of knives.

“Knife missing from this block. Could be our murder weapon” he theorized, making Taeil looked up from writing something down on his clipboard at him.

“Nice work, Mark. I think you may have cracked the case” he replied sarcastically, which came out a lot harsher than it meant to be, because Mark looked like he had just been slapped.

“Did…did I do something wrong?” he asked. Taeil blinked before he shook his head.

“No, Mark, you didn’t” he replied. 

“Then why—” Mark started. 

“Because this was Li Wei’s case. And everyone, including me, is still reeling from his death” Taeil snapped. Mark flinched at Taeil’s angry tone before he sighed.

“I don’t know who Li Wei is, but I’m sorry he passed. I'm not trying to replace him; all I want to do is do a good job” he murmured. Taeil looked up from his clipboard and sighed.

“I know Mark. And I’m sorry I snapped at you” he apologized. 

“How did he die, if you don’t mind me asking?” Mark asked softly. Taeil looked up at him, a pained expression on his face, before he sighed again.

“Got shot in the line of duty two days before you were hired” he replied. Mark blinked in shock at Taeil’s statement.

“I’m so sorry Taeil” he whispered. Taeil shrugged.

“Don’t be. Li Wei actually dated Donghyuck for a while, much to Doyoung and my disagreement. He was a dick and it took Donghyuck awhile to see that. They broke it off and while Donghyuck moved on, Li Wei never really did. He got sloppy, never with cases because Taeyong would kill him, but mainly with his gun maintenance. That’s what got him killed. _He didn’t fucking clean his gun_ ” he spat. Mark blinked before he nodded slowly.

“So that’s why Taeyong wanted to see my guns…” he murmured. Taeil nodded.

“Yeah. You were much more careful with your gun and Taeyong could see you had potential. Which is why he hired you. You were to be Li Wei’s replacement and something much greater than the man could ever be” he declared. Mark blushed before he frowned.

“I’m sorry about Li Wei though…he was a colleague” he murmured, apologizing for the third time. Taeil waved a hand.

“He was more of a major pain in my ass and I’m rather glad to see the bastard gone” he stated before he motioned to the body before him.

“Come on. Tell me what you see” he instructed. Mark raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of conversation but he was kind of glad for it too. They had a case to solve and standing around talking about a dead colleague (who Mark didn’t even really know) wasn’t going to solve it any faster. He then knelt down before the body, hesitant to reach out and touch.

“You can touch him, Mark. He's not gonna bite” Taeil assured in a gentle voice. Mark looked the body over before he pointed to the head.

“Single blow to the head. No defensive wounds on his hands or arms. Means no struggle” he deduced. Taeil nodded.

“Good. What else?” he asked.

“We probably won't find the victim's blood on our killer” Mark declared.

“And why is that?” Taeil inquired.

“No liquid blood at the time of impact. No second hit. So no spatter” Mark explained. Taeil smiled, rather proud of the still rather new CSI.

“Well, look at you go” he praised. Mark smiled before he noticed something on the body.

“What do you see?” Taeil asked, noticing the look on Mark’s face.

“Hair” Mark replied softly. Taeil quickly reached over and grabbed his tweezers out of his kit, handing them over to Mark, who took them and plucked a single hair from the victim’s clothes, holding it up to the light to get a good look at it.

“Killer may have been short in stature, well-groomed, possibly Persian. Although he may have had a hard time lifting the cleaver with his paws” he declared sarcastically. Taeil stared at him for a moment before it hit him.

“Cat hair?” he exclaimed. Mark smiled as he looked over at the medical examiner.

“Even killers have pets” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	29. Case 5: Hell Night - Part 2

Meanwhile, outside, Donghyuck was using adhesive tape to remove fibers from one of the juror’s shirts to see if anyone of them killed the victim.

“This is ridiculous. Now when can we go home?” the juror demanded.

“I'm afraid it's going to be a while, Mr. Tepper. You're all witnesses to a murder” Donghyuck replied calmly. The juror, Mr. Tepper, huffed.

“It wasn't bad enough being locked up on this case for months. Stuck in a hotel, seeing my kids on weekends. They wouldn't even let me read the sports page, man” he grumbled. 

“Why don’t you just tell me what you saw in the house” Donghyuck suggested as he continued to remove fibers from Mr. Tepper’s flannel.

“There was lightning. Juror #7 had a seizure. People were yelling. The next thing you know, Lopez was lying there, knife stuck in his head. Poetic justice, if you ask me” Mr. Tepper declared. Donghyuck stopped taking samples and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Poetic justice?” he repeated, trying to make sure he heard the man right.

“Did you see the pictures of the crime scene? What that animal did to his wife? He got what he deserved” Mr. Tepper snarled. Donghyuck pursed his lips before he nodded.

“We’re done” he stated in a flat voice. Mr. Tepper turned away from him and returned to the other jurors, raising his hands in the air.

“We're never getting out of here” he exclaimed, making the other jurors groan.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the house, Taeyong stood before some of the photos in the house, shining his flashlight on them.

“Find something?” Doyoung asked as he walked over to him.

“Actually, it's the absence of something that's interesting” Taeyong replied as he lifted up one of the photos to show that the photo that was hanging there wasn’t actually the photo that was supposed to be there.

“Paint's faded all around that frame. Means another picture was hanging here” Doyoung murmured.

“And hanging here recently. Nobody has lived in this house for months” Taeyong added.

“Do you think someone redressed the house?” Doyoung asked.

“I think that I want to talk to Mr. Lopez's attorney” Taeyong replied before he turned and headed outside to find the man in question.

~*~*~*~*~

“All right, we dressed the house; wedding pictures, family photos to enhance the jury's opinion of my client” Mr. Lopez’s attorney explained. Taeyong placed his hands on his hips.

“Your client has been accused of stabbing his wife. You left out knives?” he growled. Mr. Lopez’s attorney shook his head.

“No. We hid 'em in a cabinet. Somebody put 'em back” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“So you may have a traitor on your team” he mused.

“No” Mr. Lopez’s attorney declared, shaking his head. Taeyong just gave him a look before he hummed and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

After Lopez’s body was brought back to the morgue, before Taeil even began his autopsy, Donghyuck asked to print the cleaver handle for the person who might have killed him. Taeil agreed and Donghyuck stepped inside and walked over to the body, grabbing the fingerprinting powder and a brush, covering the bristles with a little bit of dust (because that shit was powerful, you really only needed a little) before twirling it in his fingers back and forth over the handle until he got a decent print. He then put the brush down and picked up a camera, snapping different angles of the fingerprint on the handle. Once he was done taking pictures, he stepped out of the way so that Taeil, armed with a bone saw, stepped forward and began sawing the skull around the cleaver away so that he could get it out for Donghyuck. After he had carefully sawn away small slivers of the skull, he reached out and carefully removed the cleaver before handing it over to Donghyuck, who took it back to his lab and removed the fingerprint from the handle before running it through the fingerprint database. 

“I heard you got a bloody print from the cleaver?” Doyoung called out as he walked into Donghyuck’s lab. Donghyuck glanced up at him and nodded.

“No match to our jurors or court personnel at the scene and I’m running it through the system now” he replied.

“Well, still a print in the victim's blood” Doyoung reminded.

“Ah, not exactly in the blood” Donghyuck corrected as he handed Doyoung a magnifying glass.

“Notice the ridge detail” he instructed. Doyoung took the magnifying glass and leaned forward so that he was looking at the fingerprint.

“What about it?” he asked.

“Well, the blood goes around the print, not through it. Means that the print was preexisting. It was there before the blood” Donghyuck explained. Doyoung hummed as he leaned back and placed the magnifying glass on the table.

“Could still be from the killer” he mused. Donghyuck shrugged.

“It's consistent with a single blow, but the blood couldn't have gotten onto the handle until after the initial hit” he argued, just when his computer beeped, making him and Doyoung turn to see that it couldn’t find a match.

“No match in AFIS. The print is not in the system” Donghyuck declared. Doyoung sighed.

“Okay. So we're back to square one” he grumbled. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Not quite. There's one place I haven't looked yet” he stated as he turned to a file that was on his lab table.

“These are the ten cards from the Lopez household. Friends, family, employees people who were eliminated for the murder of Mrs. Lopez” he explained as he took each card out and looked them over before he paused and looked up at Doyoung with wide eyes.

“You're not going to believe this” he breathed. Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve got a match?” he asked, surprised. Donghyuck nodded as he flipped the fingerprint card over.

“Yeah. Chelsea Lopez. Donny's daughter” he replied softly, like he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	30. Case 5: Hell Night - Part 3

“I can't believe you think I did this” Chelsea exclaimed after Doyoung brought her in for questioning. Doyoung shrugged.

“We found cat hair on your father's body. You have a Persian tabby” he explained calmly. Chelsea huffed.

“Mr. Whiskers. I was playing with him before I went to see him” she explained. Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“You saw your father yesterday?” he asked. Chelsea nodded.

“My grandparents make me see him once a week” she explained.

“Did you hug him?” Doyoung inquired.

“Yeah. I guess” Chelsea answered. Doyoung sighed.

“Okay. We found your fingerprint on the murder weapon. How do you explain that?” he asked. Chelsea looked down and didn’t say anything making Doyoung sigh again.

“Chelsea, I can't help you unless you're honest with me. Did you sneak back into the house yesterday?” he asked.

“Yes” Chelsea answered softly.

“Why?” Doyoung asked.

“To move things around” Chelsea explained. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't follow” he replied.

“Dad's lawyers put out the wedding pictures, the family albums. It was a bunch of lies” Chelsea spat.

“So you took them away?” Doyoung asked. Chelsea nodded.

“They were trying to make him look like this family man. It wasn't like that” she explained.

“What was it like?” Doyoung asked gently.

“Look. My dad had a lot of girlfriends. Tall model types. My mom was always crying. I hated what he did to her” Chelsea snapped.

“What about the knives?” Doyoung asked.

“Just wanted that jury to know what it was really like in our house. I mean, if they're going to judge him for murdering Mom, they should have all the facts” Chelsea explained. Doyoung nodded.

“Okay. Will you make me a list of everything you moved in the house?” he asked. 

“Sure” Chelsea replied as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a notebook, grabbing a pencil as well. Doyoung stared at the notebook for a moment, remembering the note that was placed on Lopez’s body, before he hummed.

“Hey, uh, can I borrow a piece of paper? I left mine outside” he explained. Chelsea looked up at him and nodded as she tore a piece out of her book and handed it over to him.

“Thank you” he thanked, carefully slipping the paper into his binder before exiting the room. He then headed down to Sicheng’s lab and handed him the piece of paper.

“Could you check to see if this paper is the same one that was used at the scene?” he asked. Sicheng nodded and scanned the paper before scanning the one at the scene. He then took the two scans and placed them into the computer, analyzing them before showing them to Doyoung.

“Paper from the girl's binder doesn't match the killer's "Guilty" note. Different acid content” he explained.

“Paper looks similar, though” Doyoung murmured, frowning.

“Looks can be deceiving” Sicheng replied as he motioned to the screen.

“Both are 16-pound college-rule, but the similarity ends there. Each manufacturer's process is different, individual as DNA” he continued.

“What is that on the killer's note?” Doyoung asked as he looked at the “guilty” note on the screen, noticing some highlighted indentations on the paper. Sicheng narrowed his eyes before he hummed.

“I was just about to run it through ESDA” he stated as he took the “guilty” note and placed it on a machine called “ESDA”, covering it with a clear plastic wrap. He then turned on the machine and waited for it to start running before he picked up an electric wand and ran it over the plastic wrap and paper, creating an electric charge. After he had created the electric charge, he ran a toner over the plastic at an angle, revealing the hidden words that the electric charge had brought to the surface.

_“_ _Wit saw ML through window”_ Doyoung read aloud. He then paused, thinking the words over.

“ _”_ _Wit"_ is _“witness”_. _“ML”_ is _“Miranda Lopez”_ ” he mused. Sicheng hummed.

“Looks like someone was taking notes” he theorized.

“Trial notes from the Miranda Lopez case…our killer is a juror” Doyoung breathed as it suddenly hit him.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in the morgue, Taeyong walked over to Taeil and the body of Danny Lopez.

“So this is our dead defendant, Taeil” he murmured. Taeil nodded.

“Yeah, Donny Lopez bagged and tagged. I dislodged the murder weapon from his skull.

Turned it over to Donghyuck” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked. Taeil nodded as well.

“Of course” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

In another lab room, Doyoung and Donghyuck were going who the different jurors were that attended the house that evening.

“Juror #3. Jim Wilson. Architectural engineer from Homestead. Currently going through a divorce…and he trusts the police” Doyoung murmured as Donghyuck wrote down “J. Wilson” on the juror’s card on his iPad that was reflecting onto a large screen. Doyoung then flipped to the next juror in the binder and cleared his throat.

“Juror #4. Darla Williams. She's from Surfside. Two kids in junior high. Unsure about the death penalty” he read aloud. Donghyuck nodded and wrote down her name on her card before he frowned.

“Okay. Um…which one trusted the police?” he asked.

“Wilson” Doyoung replied. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Look, I am never gonna remember all of these names, so let's just do this: Juror #3 is going to be the engineer and Juror #4 is going to be the soccer mom” he declared as he changed the names on the card to things that he could actually remember. Once he had done that, he went back to all the other jurors and changed their names into things he could remember. He and Doyoung then headed to Donghyuck’s lab and took the boxes full of each juror’s personal property, removing their notebooks from them before flipping through every one of them. They searched for a while until Donghyuck came upon a page where there was a little bit of perforated edge still stuck to the binder ring. He the grabbed a tweezer and carefully removed the piece from the ring, examining it first under a magnifying glass before placing it under a microscope, where they “guilty” note was resting. He then fit the piece into place like a puzzle, making Doyoung hum as he stared up at the projected screen that showed what was going on under the microscope.

“Physical match, but whose notebook?” he asked.

“Juror #11. The construction worker” Donghyuck replied. 

“Let’s bring him in” Doyoung declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“You're kidding, right?” Carl Tepper exclaimed as he sat before Donghyuck.

“I’m afraid not, Carl” Donghyuck replied as he motioned to the photo of the “guilty” note before Carl.

“Killer's note came from your notebook. Care to explain that?” he asked. 

“Yeah. At least I was taking notes. You should've seen some of those other bozos” Carl replied. 

“So, it's poetic justice, right?” Donghyuck asked, making Carl roll his eyes.

“That what you said: _"Donny Lopez got what he deserved."_ With a little help from you” he continued. Carl sighed.

“Look, we weren't allowed to take the notebooks back to the hotel. We left them in the jury box. Anybody could've ripped a page outta mine” he explained. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay. Well, let's find out. I'm going to give you a little test” he stated as he opened up his binder and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen.

“W-What kind of test?” Carl asked.

“Write your name down, in all lower-case letters” Donghyuck replied. Carl frowned before he did what he was told and wrote down his name. Donghyuck then thanked him for his time before he took the note and headed down to Sicheng’s lab, handing over the piece of paper to him.

“Can you see if he’s the killer?” he asked. Sicheng nodded and ran a few tests on the note before he shook his head.

“Construction worker didn't write that note” he declared. Donghyuck frowned.

“Are you sure?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“95% sure. Ran a conoscopic holography on his exemplars” he replied. Donghyuck shut his eyes and shook his head.

“Translation, please, hyung” he asked. 

“Take a look at the "T" in his last name” Sicheng started as he clicked his mouse to enlarge the “T” on the screen before running an x-ray over it.

“This hole is created on the cross stroke; pen tip falls into the furrow from the first stroke. You can see it better on the mirror view” he explained before he clicked his mouse again, flipping the image to show the “T” mirrored, almost like with infrared imaging. 

“That bump shows us directionality. Construction worker crosses his "T"s backwards. Killer doesn't” he continued.

“So old angry Carl was telling the truth” Donghyuck grumbled. Sicheng sighed.

“Sorry Donghyuck” he apologized. Donghyuck smiled and shook his head as he patted him on the shoulder before leaving the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	31. Case 5: Hell Night - Part 4

In Doyoung’s lab, Doyoung was working on some paperwork when Mark walked in, dressed in his lab coat.

“Ah, hyung. Good, I was just looking for you” he stated, making Doyoung look up at him.

“Mark. What’s up?” he asked. Mark shook his head.

“More like, who's up? Juror #7, the cheerleader” he stated. Doyoung frowned.

“The one who had the seizure?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“The very same. She spent the night at Yadrioria General for observation. She's being released this afternoon” he explained. Doyoung sighed and shook his head.

“Well, unfortunately, that doesn't really help us, because she's the one juror we know couldn't have killed Donny Lopez” he stated. Mark shook his head.

“She didn't kill him, but I think she might've helped whoever did” he replied as he held up an evidence bag filled with a prescription bottle. Doyoung held out a hand.

“Let me see” he ordered. Mark handed them over and Doyoung quickly put on some gloves before he pulled out a little spatula and placed it on his desk. He then put down a little pill counting tray and opened the evidence bag, taking out the prescription bottle. He opened the bottle and poured the pills out onto the tray, counting them before looking up at Mark.

“Divalproex. 30 caplets. That's a full prescription” he declared. Mark frowned as he crossed his arms.

“It was filled a month ago. She hasn't been taking her anti-seizure medication” he mused. Doyoung shook his head.

“But even without her meds, she'd have no way of knowing exactly when she'd have a seizure” he argued. Mark was quiet before a thought struck him.

“Unless she made it happen” he murmured. Doyoung frowned.

“What are you on about?” he asked.

“Witnesses saw lightning flashes just before the cheerleader hit the ground. What if it wasn't lightning?” Mark replied. Doyoung hummed, thinking about the theory.

“Epileptics can be photosensitive. They react to flashing lights” he replied. Mark then clapped his hands.

“Let’s go talk to her, shall we?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

“I really don't remember very much. It's a side effect of the seizures” the juror explained to Mark and Doyoung as they stood before her outside of the hospital as she was waiting for her ride.

“You had the same side effect the last couple times you had seizures. I know that because I read the pleadings from all your lawsuits” Mark stated as Doyoung looked at the juror’s file.

“Four seizures, four claims against businesses and county offices” he declared before he looked up at the juror.

“You're a bit of a scam artist, aren't you, Ginger?” he asked. The juror, Ginger Wadley, huffed.

“Those were legitimate legal problems with those facilities” she replied. Mark then noticed she was fiddling with a keychain in her hand.

“Hey, that's a cool key chain. You mind if I take a look?” he asked, holding out his hand. Ginger then placed the keychain in his hand and he took the little flashlight that was on it and held down the button, watching as it flashed repeatedly. He then shone the light in Ginger’s eyes, making her quickly cover her face so that she wouldn’t see it.

“That's a cute trick. You must be fun at parties” he mused.

“I think your legal problems are just beginning” Doyoung stated. Ginger looked between the two detectives before she threw her hands up in the air.

“It was 5,000 bucks. All I had to do was have another seizure. She didn't say anything about killing anybody. All I had to do was get kicked off the jury. Get a mistrial” she explained. Doyoung frowned.

“Who's "she"?” he asked. 

“Kelli. No last name. She just gave a cell number. I don't know anything else” Ginger replied. Mark and Doyoung looked at one another before they thanked her for her time and headed back to the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

At the crime lab, Mark headed back to his lab while Doyoung called in Kelli Fritz, Donny Lopez’s ex-girlfriend.

“Here's what I think. You were the defense's secret witness, Kelli. Donny Lopez liked tall model types, and I think that you were at his house the night of the murder. Weren’t you?” Doyoung asked, looking the pretty young woman in the eye.

“Yeah. And his attorneys were going to have me testify to that. I just I-I couldn't do it” she replied. Doyoung frowned.

“So you paid a juror for a mistrial. Why?” he inquired.

“Me and Donny, that was fun. But I met a great new guy. He's a Flagler cousin” Kelli explained. Doyoung nodded in understanding.

“Old money, old family values” he murmured.

“We're engaged. I just thought the quickest way to end the trial would be to pay someone off” Kelli explained.

“The quickest way to end the trial is to kill the defendant” Doyoung argued. Kelli shook her head.

“I didn't” she exclaimed.

“I'm gonna need a sample of your handwriting to compare to the "Guilty" note we found on Donny Lopez's body” Doyoung stated as he slid over a piece of paper and a pen. Kelli nodded.

“Okay” she replied as she took the pen and wrote down “Guilty” on the page. 

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Kelli, Doyoung headed into the computer lab, where Donghyuck and Mark were staring at the screen with all of the jurors on it.

“Girlfriend's a bust. There's no match to the "Guilty" note” he declared. 

“And the construction worker didn't write the note, either. Cheerleader's a scam artist, but not a murderer. So, who’s left?” Mark asked as he crossed out the construction worker and cheerleader from the lineup. He then looked at the lineup before picking Juror #6.

“What about the dentist? Domestic violence allegation in the past year” he offered.

“Mm, spousal abuser going postal on jury duty…I don't think so. I like the chef” Donghyuck countered. Mark frowned.

“How do you figure?” he asked as he clicked on the chef’s profile picture.

“Works with knives. That and food service; very stressful” Donghyuck replied in a teasing tone. Mark giggled at the joke while Doyoung rolled his eyes, smiling.

“All right, let's go back to what we do know. Killer had to work quickly in the dark, and he used an available weapon” she stated.

“It means they knew where it was located” Mark declared.

“Well, that jury knew where everything was located. They had access to Paul's crime scene photographs, sketches, inventories—” Doyoung started.

“And they had four months to study them. Killer knew the house intimately” Donghyuck finished. The three detectives were quiet before a thought struck Doyoung.

“Or maybe he just thought he did. Things change. We've got to go back to the house” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the Lopez house, Doyoung, Mark, and Donghyuck carefully walked through the kitchen, looking around.

“What are we looking for?” Mark asked, genuinely curious.

“Anything that's different” Doyoung replied.

“That's different from what?” Mark asked.

“Different from the night of Miranda Lopez's murder” Donghyuck answered as he set his case down on the counter. Mark looked over at him and frowned.

“I'm not following” he replied.

“The killer on the jury memorized the layout of the house from Sang’s sketches, only he drew those sketches from the original crime scene” Doyoung explained.

“Makes them almost a year old” Mark murmured.

“Exactly. The house has been changed, but the sketches reflect the conditions of a year ago” Doyoung continued.

“And if the killer didn't know that, he might have made a mistake” Donghyuck added as he stopped to look at a window that showed into the opposite house.

“This is the window, right, that the neighbor saw through?” he asked.

“Yeah. The state's case turned on the neighbor's testimony. She said she saw Miranda Lopez through the window about five minutes before the murder, but the defense argued that her view was blocked” Doyoung replied.

“Blocked by what?” Mark asked. 

“Pocket door. But it was broken. Stuck in the wall over there” Doyoung replied, pointing to the door in front of Donghyuck. Donghyuck then took the little latch that locked the door and pulled on it, pulling out the door.

“It's not broken anymore” he declared, making Doyoung and Mark walk over it.

“Donny Lopez's attorneys not only redecorated, they repaired” he mused. Donghyuck hummed as he continued to close the door, only to find a print on the glass.

“Well…maybe they just did us a favor” he murmured as he pulled out his flashlight and shone it on the print on the glass.

“Is that what I think it is?” Mark asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Face print” he replied. Mark then summoned a camera before he stepped forward, taking a few photos of the print before stepping back, allowing Donghyuck to step forwards with a Q-tip in his hand.

“Sebaceous oils from the outer dermis. May give us skin cells” he declared as he swapped a small piece of the print.

“May give us the face of our killer” Doyoung added.

~*~*~*~*`

Back at the lab, Doyoung snipped off a small piece of the Q-tip that had the skin cells Donghyuck collected, placed it into a small centrifuge tube before filling it with solution. He then removed the dirty micropipette tip before closing the lid of the centrifuge tube and placing it in a centrifuge, running it. Once it was done running, the print printed out the chemicals that made up the face print. The results showed that the skin cells were an exact match to those of Jim Wilson, Juror #3.

“Juror #3, come on down” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	32. Case 5: Hell Night - CASE CLOSED

“I don't understand. I thought the trial was over” Jim Wilson stated as he sat before Doyoung and Donghyuck.

“Donny Lopez's trial is over; yours is just beginning” Doyoung replied.

“What are you talking about?” Jim asked.

“We have DNA evidence that puts you in the kitchen last night when Donny Lopez was murdered” Donghyuck stated.

“I had to use the bathroom. I got lost looking for the group. I ended up in the kitchen” Jim explained.

“Did you flush?” Doyoung inquired. Jim frowned at him.

“What? Of course I did” he exclaimed.

“Now, you see, that's a problem. Because the water in the house has been turned off, and I checked the reservoir tank on the toilet, it was full. If you'd flushed, it'd be empty. You didn't go to the bathroom. You stayed in the kitchen and waited for your chance. Unfortunately, at the trial, you got everything you needed to plan the murder. Crime scene photographs, diagrams of the house. Only your route was changed. You didn't realize that the pocket door had been fixed” Doyoung stated calmly, showing Jim the crime scene photo and Sang’s diagram of the house. Jim was quiet before he huffed.

“All I needed was an opportunity. I couldn't believe it when that cheerleader bimbo went down. It was just too easy” he explained.

“Easy? To take a man's life?” Donghyuck asked, frowning at him.

“Hey, we put everything on hold, so this guy can get, what, a million-dollar defense? His pro team just deferred his salary. What about our jobs, hmm? Our lives” Jim snapped.

“Everyone on that jury was going through the same hardship as you” Donghyuck snapped back. Jim growled.

“Don't you lecture me about hardship. I lost everything. My wife left me. She took my kids. I don't have a job to go back to. My boss gave it to my fill-in” he shouted. While he and Donghyuck were arguing, Doyoung took the crime scene photo of Miranda Lopez’s body and studied it.

“And there you were, Donny Lopez's mansion. Five bedrooms, wine cellar, plasma TV—” Donghyuck started.

“Seven bedrooms, plasma TVs in each one. He wasn't gonna miss a beat” Jim interrupted. 

“Unfortunately, you are. You're under arrest for aggravated murder” Donghyuck snarled. Jim sighed before he was grabbed by the officer in the room and led out of there. After he left, Doyoung looked back down at the original crime scene photo and shook his head.

“Oh God” he breathed. Donghyuck frowned and looked over at him.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

“I don't think he did it” Doyoung replied. Donghyuck shook his head.

“What are you talking about? The guy just confessed. We got him” he exclaimed. Doyoung shook her head as she looked up at him.

“No, not him. Donny Lopez. I don't think he killed his wife” she stated. Donghyuck looked at him with wide eyes.

“Then who the fuck did?” he exclaimed.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Doyoung called State Attorney Bob Villa down to the crime lab.

“Bob” he greeted as she walked over to the tall black male.

“Hey, got your page. What's going on?” Bob asked.

“We need to talk about Miranda Lopez” Doyoung replied. Bob frowned.

“What's left to talk about? Defendant's dead. Case is over. Our boss is holding a press conference in a half an hour” he stated. Doyoung shook his head.

“You need to tell him not to. Donny Lopez didn't kill her” he explained. Bob’s eyes widened.

“You're telling me this now?” he exclaimed. Doyoung sighed as he pulled a crime scene photo out of the file that he brought and showed it to Bob.

“Miranda Lopez had a single defensive wound from a multiple stabbing. When was the last time you saw that?” he asked.

“Everything your CSI presented indicated it was the husband” Bob replied.

“Well, he testified on the evidence, but you guys made a determination about who to charge” Doyoung reminded.

“Terrific. You trying to get me sent down to traffic court?” Bob snapped. Doyoung shook his head.

“No, I think it's more important that we find the right killer, don't you, Bob?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Of course. So who is it?” Bob replied. Doyoung shook his head again.

“Currently, we don't have a suspect” he stated. Bob groaned.

“Do you know how bad that makes us look?” he exclaimed. Doyoung said nothing before he turned and walked off, leaving Bob to shake his head in amazement.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Bob, in the evidence locker, Doyoung was going through all of the evidence from the Miranda Lopez case. As he was going over it, one of the officers brought in another box of evidence.

“Hey, Paula, is this all of them?” he asked, not even glancing over at the young woman.

“Uh, two more boxes are coming from storage. Evidence, lab reports, everything on Miranda Lopez” the officer, Paula, replied as Doyoung picked up the evidence box labeled “Murder Weapon”.

“There's only one thing I'm looking for” he murmured as he opened the box and pulled out the knife with the blood covered tip.

“Murder weapon” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

After Doyoung had removed all of the evidence that he needed from the boxes, he grabbed a mannequin and dressed it in the clothing that Miranda Lopez was wearing on the night she was murdered before he called Taeil up to his lab and asked him to bring his autopsy notes for Miranda.

“Taeil, will you walk me through Miranda Lopez's injuries again?” he asked when the fallen angel walked into his lab.

“Sharp force wounds to the abdomen and upper torso. Wound one was nonfatal, but two was penetrating with right hemothorax” Taeil replied as he looked at his autopsy notes.

“And how deep were the wounds?” Doyoung asked.

“About two inches. Deep enough to nick the superior vena cava. She bled out” Taeil answered.

“So the stab wounds were shallow. And these rips in the fabric, they didn't penetrate the skin” Doyoung mused. Taeil shook his head.

“Doyoung, vics don't stand still while they're being stabbed” he reminded.

“True, but if you take these wounds in context—” Doyoung started, making Taeil quickly hold up a hand.

“Hey, I deal in anatomical, unless I'm invited into the lab” he declared. Doyoung gave him a look before he smiled fondly.

“Well, consider yourself invited” he stated. Taeil smiled and inclined his head while Doyoung cleared his throat.

“You see, we never had any hard evidence that said that Donny Lopez used the knife himself. It was just his actions afterward” he explained. Taeil frowned and crossed his arms.

“But why'd he to clean up if he didn't kill her?” he inquired.

“Well, it’s human nature. He just made things worse” Doyoung replied. Taeil sighed and shook his head.

“Alright Doyoung, where you going with all this?” he demanded.

“Did you know that Donny Lopez hit 40 home runs last year? And he had the third highest slugging percentage of anyone in the majors” Doyoung stated. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“So?” he asked.

“So how does a guy as big and as strong as that stab his wife, and only get two inches of blood on the end of the blade?” Doyoung replied, holding up the murder weapon. 

“You're talking about a killer without a lot of upper torso strength” Taeil breathed, finally getting it. Doyoung smiled slightly and that’s when it hit Taeil.

“A woman” he declared. Doyoung nodded.

“A woman with motive and with long auburn hair like the one that Sang found on Donny Lopez the night of his wife's murder” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

“I didn't kill Miranda. I didn't even know her” Kelli exclaimed.

“But you knew her husband. You admitted to me that you were at the house the night she was killed” Doyoung reminded.

“I was with Donny” Kelli insisted. 

“Doing what?” Doyoung asked, making Kelli look away from him.

“Kelli” Doyoung called, impatience in his voice. Kelli looked up at him and huffed.

“Donny wasn't very discreet” she stated. Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“You were kissing him?” he asked.

“You could call it a kiss” Kelli replied.

“But you never went into the house” Doyoung stated. Kelli shook her head.

“I have morals, okay? His kids were inside” she replied. Doyoung paused before he nodded.

“Yes, they were. Will you excuse me, please?” he asked before he stood up and walked out of the interrogation room, walking over to Taeil, who was standing in front of the double-sided mirror.

“Taeil, the wound on Miranda Lopez's hand—” he started.

“The defensive wound, yeah?” Taeil asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What if it wasn't defensive? If her hand were upraised, wouldn't you expect a puncture?” Doyoung asked as he raised his hand.

“Every knife would on a stabbing victim's hand is considered defensive. That's protocol” Taeil replied, shaking his head. Doyoung then moved his hand so that it was down, with his palm facing up, almost like he was asking for something.

“Unless the hand were down here” he argued. Taeil stared at it before he hummed.

“That means the killer was someone she trusted. Someone she wasn't afraid of” he offered. Doyoung was quiet before he nodded, turning to go make a phone call when he paused and turned back, pressing a “thank-you” kiss to Taeil’s cheek before he walked off. Taeil smiled and shook his head as he reached up and pressed a hand against the cheek that Doyoung kissed. He never got over how much he really liked it when Doyoung kissed him.

~*~*~*~*~

After Doyoung had made his phone call, he waited a few minutes before he walked into the interrogation room where Chelsea Lopez was sitting.

“Tell me about the night your mother was killed” he instructed gently.

“I already told the police everything” Chelsea argued.

“Except the truth” Doyoung stated, giving Chelsea a look.

“I was asleep in my room” Chelsea assured. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't think so. I think you got into a fight with your mom, didn't you?” he asked gently. Chelsea was quiet before she looked at him, tears in her eyes.

“I saw him that night. In some girl's car. It was disgusting. Tried to tell my mom, but she wouldn't listen. She got so angry” she explained tearily as she reached up and touched her cheek.

“She slapped me” she continued before she sniffled.

“I was afraid of her. Afraid of what she might do” she explained. Doyoung was quiet before he sighed.

“See, Chelsea, that's not what the evidence is telling me” he started softly as he picked up the crime scene photo of Miranda’s hand with the defensive wound and showed it to Chelsea.

“She had her hand open. She was reaching out to you” he continued. Chelsea was quiet as more tears filled her eyes as she looked at the photo before she looked back up at Doyoung, who looked at her with barely contained rage.

“She trusted you. And you killed her” he growled softly. Chelsea sniffled.

“I just wanted them to be happy. Be together, like they were in the magazines” she whimpered. Doyoung stared at her for a moment before he sighed, letting all of the rage drain out of him.

“I’m sorry” he murmured.

“I miss her. I miss her every day” Chelsea whispered before she burst into tears. Doyoung sighed before he looked up at the police officer that was in the room and motioned for them to take Chelsea away. Once she was led out of the room, Doyoung let out a deep sigh and leaned back in the chair, shutting his eyes. As he sat there in silence, he didn’t hear Donghyuck, Mark, or Taeil enter the room and sit down in the other chairs that were in the room. After a few minutes of silence, Doyoung opened his eyes and jumped slightly at the sight of his friends sitting around him, all giving him soft and supportive smiles.

“You okay?” Donghyuck asked softly. Doyoung sighed and nodded.

“Yeah…it’s just sad what happened to the Lopez family…” he murmured. Mark nodded.

“It is, but at least we know who the real killer is…even though they weren’t who we were expecting” he replied. Donghyuck and Doyoung nodded in agreement while Taeil shook his head.

“That poor girl. She lost both of her parents…who does she have now?” he asked. Everyone was silent before Doyoung sighed and hung his head.

“No one” he replied honestly.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	33. Case 6: Lost Son - Part 1

It was a bright, hot, and sunny day in Yadrioria as cars sat delayed on a bridge, waiting for the part of the bridge that rose to let boats pass below to lower.

“I told you, we should take me dad’s convertible” one passenger told her boyfriend. The boyfriend just rolled his eyes.

“It’s just a little traffic, chill” he replied.

“The sun will be down by the time we get to the Keys” the girlfriend whined. The boyfriend rolled his eyes again while down beneath the bridge, a fishing boat was heading rather fast towards the bridge.

“Like your care. You spray tan” he reminded. The girlfriend shot him a look before she huffed.

“You know what this is? This is the last vacation I go on with you” she declared. The boyfriend looked over her and raised an eyebrow.

“Jaimie! Say it again and I’ll think you mean it” he replied sarcastically while down below the bridge, the boat was coming in still rather fast.

“This is the last vacation I go on with you” the girlfriend, Jaimie, repeated, just as the oncoming boat rammed into the bridge, breaking off parts of concrete, causing the bridge to rumble and shake.

“What was that?!” Jaimie exclaimed as the bridge began to collapse around them, since the boat was still trying to power its way through one of the columns that was holding up the bridge. Meanwhile, up on the highway, people were getting out of their cars and running towards safety.

“Hurry up, get off the bridge!” one of the drivers shouted as they ran off. As they were running away, Jaimie’s boyfriend opened his car door and stepped out onto the breaking bridge, only to have his foot break off pieces of it and send it into the water below. He then quickly pulled his foot back into the car as Jaimie looked over at him.

“Back up! Justin, back up, we got to go, hurry!” she cried.

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Justin shouted as the road before them started to crack and crumble.

“Back up, backup, Justin come on!” Jaimie screamed. Justin quickly put the car into reverse and stepped on the gas, backing up as far as he could, only to ram into another parked car on the bridge. The bridge began to break and crumble underneath their car, making Jaimie scream.

“We gonna die!” she cried, just as the bridge finally gave out underneath them and sent them careening into the water below. Meanwhile, the boat continued to ram into the bridge, causing more and more of the bridge to break off and fall into the water.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, the police, the firefighters, and the EMTs were on scene. Police were directing passengers to get off the bridge while the EMTs were taking care of Justin and Jaimie, whom they fished out of the ocean. While they were being taken care of, Taeyong stood by the hole where Justin’s car fell into the ocean and stared down at it, his hands on his hips. He then shook his head and headed down below the bridge to supervise the police department as it tried to kill the boat’s engine. As he was supervising, Mark and Donghyuck walked over to him, standing on either side of him.

“Welcome gentlemen” Taeyong greeted.

“Hi. So, this boat slams into a bridge. Is that a crime scene?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The witnesses say that the boat was aiming at the bridge” Taeyong replied. Donghyuck nodded.

“All right, we'll grab our stuff” he declared before he and Mark turned to go get their kits. 

~*~*~*~*~

While Donghyuck and Mark were off grabbing their kits, Taeyong went to go inspect the boat. He first went into the flying bridge and looked around, noticing that on the control panel, the boat was set to “autopilot”, making his eyes widen before he turned and looked down at the sole, where Jaehyun was standing next to a dead body.

“The boat was on autopilot” he declared.

“Yacht was reported stolen out of the marina an hour ago” Jaehyun replied, looking up at him. Taeyong hummed before he began to climb down the stairs that led to the sole.

“Did you find the driver?” he asked.

“Found someone: only soul on board” Jaehyun replied, motioning to the man at his feet.

“Italian suit, street shoes not the kind of thing you'd wear for a day on the intercoastal” he continued as Taeyong reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to him. Taeyong then summoned a pair of gloves before he knelt down and pointed to the bullet wound in the body’s head.

“And that stippling right here, which means he was shot at close range” he declared before he stood up and noticed some muddy footprints at the edge of the sole.

“Shooter went overboard right here” he added. Jaehyun then walked over to him, putting his hands on his hips.

“We've put frogmen in the water. Nothing so far” he stated.

“Shoot a man, you jump ship and then you crash a bridge. That couldn't have been the original plan, right?” Taeyong asked. Jaehyun hummed.

“It would attract too much attention” he replied. Taeyong hummed as well as he looked up at the car that was being recovered from the ocean.

“It certainly would” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeil was on the ship with Doyoung and Taeyong, examining the body.

“No exit ramp for our well-dressed man. I'll extract the bullet at the post” Taeil declared.

“Get an I.D. yet, Taeil?” Taeyong asked. Taeil was quiet as he grabbed the man’s wallet out of his pants pocket and opened it up.

“Reed Williams, age 51. Bal harbor” he replied, handing the wallet up to Taeyong before looking back at the body.

“Well, that explains the expensive suit” he mused, just as Doyoung picked up a shell casing.

“Got a casing: .22” he declared. 

“I'm going to go see what Mr. Williams was into. Thank you” Taeyong thanked before he got onto the police boat that was waiting next to the crime scene and headed back to shore. As he was sailing away, Doyoung put on his protective UV goggles before he reached into his kit and pulled out his blacklight, turning it on. When it didn’t start, he tried once more, but nothing happened. He then hit it once and tried again but still, he got nothing. He then sighed.

“Damn it” he grumbled. Taeil looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Something the matter?” he asked.

“Forgot to charge my blacklight” Doyoung grumbled. Taeil blinked at him in shock.

“Now that’s not like you, Doyoung” he scolded. Doyoung huffed.

“I wasn’t exactly in the best mind state yesterday, Taeil” he reminded. Taeil was quiet before he nodded.

“Right, sorry” he murmured. Doyoung shook his head.

“It’s alright. I’ll just tape lift instead” he declared as he took out the tape lift from his kit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	34. Case 6: Lost Son - Part 2

While Taeil and Doyoung were working on the body, Taeyong and Jaehyun went to the William’s residence and knocked on the door. When a young woman answered it, Jaehyun held up his badge.

“Yadrioria Police” he introduced.

“Did you find my son?” the woman asked. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another with wide eyes while the woman sighed.

“Reed went out to get our son back” she explained.

“Get your son back from who, ma'am?” Taeyong asked, slightly concerned. The woman shook her head.

“We don't know. They called, they said they had Joey, asked for ransom. Reed went out to pay them almost three hours ago. I haven't heard a word since” she explained.

“Was he supposed to meet these people on a boat?” Taeyong asked gently. The woman nodded.

“Yeah, slip 29, like they said. Where is my husband?” she demanded. Jaehyun and Taeyong were quiet before Jaehyun sighed.

“Mrs. Williams, I, um I'm very sorry to inform you that your husband has been killed” he stated softly. The woman, Mrs. Williams, gasped.

“Oh no” she whispered before she shook her head.

“No” she whimpered.

“May we come in?” Taeyong asked gently. Mrs. Williams looked at him before she nodded and motioned for him and Jaehyun to enter. They then walked into the living room, where Mrs. Williams sat down on the couch and handed Jaehyun a family photo in a very beautiful frame.

“This is Joey” she started before she handed Taeyong a notepad.

“And I wrote down everything that they said” she continued. 

“Please lay that on the table” Taeyong instructed. Mrs. Williams did so and Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked as he read the note on the page.

“Three million dollars in jewels. Did these people know you had jewels?” he asked. Mrs. Williams shrugged.

“We're in the paper a lot, you know; events, fund-raisers” she replied.

“Did your husband take the jewels to meet these people?” Taeyong inquired.

“To pay for Joey. They haven't called. There hasn't been a second call. Why would they take the jewelry and not give us Joey?” Mrs. Williams demanded. Taeyong held up a hand.

“Hang on” he soothed before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Let's go back to the beginning. Where was Joey taken from?” he asked.

“From martial arts class. It happened about four hours ago” Mrs. Williams replied, tears in her eyes.

“We'll need the address and this photo of Joey. We’ll also need your DNA, in reference in case—” Jaehyun started.

“He's dead. I know” Mrs. Williams interrupted.

“Let’s not go there yet” Taeyong suggested softly. Jaehyun then cleared his throat.

“Why don't you show me to Joey’s room?” he suggested. Mrs. Williams nodded and stood up from the couch.

“It's right this way” she replied, motioning for Jaehyun to follow her to Joey’s room. Once they had left, Taeyong pulled out his phone and dialed Mark’s phone number before putting his phone to his ear.

“Mark, how’s it going?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime scene, Mark and Donghyuck were on the boat, Donghyuck searching for evidence while Mark was speaking to Taeyong.

“Frogmen didn't turn anyone up. I did get some soil at the, uh, point where the shooter went into the water. I don't know how instructive it's going to be” Mark replied.

 _“I think we have a kidnapping situation here: a six-year-old boy”_ Taeyong replied from the William’s residence. Mark’s eyes widened.

“Who's our dead guy?” he asked.

 _“The boy's father. And I think the situation went south, so that mud might be our only connection to the suspect”_ Taeyong answered. 

“I’m on it” Mark assured before he hung up and put his phone away. He then summoned his camera and began taking pictures of the muddy shoe print while Donghyuck picked a small black duffle bag with a padlock on it.

“Check this out” he called out as he stood to his feet and walked over to Mark.

“Ransom could've fit in this bag” he mused before he opened it, only to find a little fish in it. Mark stared at it for a minute before he smiled slightly.

“It’s a fish” he declared.

“Might've just given ourselves a secondary crime scene right here” Donghyuck mused. Mark frowned.

“How do you figure?” he asked. Donghyuck smiled.

“I'll explain once I get back to the lab. In the meantime, you, uh you missed a spot over there” he teased. Mark rolled his eyes before he gently shoved Donghyuck away.

“씨발” he replied with a smile. Donghyuck’s eyes widened before he laughed.

“My, my. Someone’s got a bit of a foul mouth” he teased. Mark gave him a look.

“Everyone has one, Hyuck” he replied. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Yes, but I didn’t think you had one” he stated. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“And what made you think that?” he inquired. Donghyuck shrugged.

“You just seem innocent that’s all” he explained. Mark huffed and shook his head.

“Well, I do. Now can you please go back to doing your job so that I can finish this?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Sure Mark” he replied as he walked away so that Mark could finish taking pictures of the muddy shoe print.

~*~*~*~*~

“Kidnapping? Well, I-I thought it was just a custody thing” Joey’s sensei stated after Taeyong and Jaehyun told him what happened.

“What custody thing?” Jaehyun inquired.

“Well, these rich parents are always fighting over their kids. Divorce. You know, one'll send a P.I. to swoop in, grab his kid after practice” the sensei replied. Taeyong narrowed his eyes.

“But you just said that Joey Williams never made it into practice” he stated.

“I went out front. It was, like 10 past 8:00. I saw a Mercedes S-class trying to shut the door on the kid. I get close, and the guy just drives off” the sensei explained. Taeyong hummed.

“One man driving?” he asked.

“Well, as far as I could tell” the sensei replied.

“Okay, show me exactly where this car was. Show me” Taeyong ordered. The sensei nodded and took him and Jaehyun outside to where the car was parked.

“The Mercedes was parked here. It pulled out this way, made a left at the street” he explained as Taeyong reached into his kit and pulled out a tape measure before kneeling down, measuring the dirt track that the tire left behind.

“A 66-inch wheelbase, Ken” he stated. The sensei, Ken Timmons, frowned.

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” he asked.

“What it should mean to you is that you're lying, because the S-class has a 62-inch wheelbase, and it means that it couldn't have been the abduction car” Taeyong explained as he stood to his feet and placed his hands on his hips.

“Kidnappers work in teams…are you in on this?” he continued. Ken’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

“No” he replied. 

“No?” Taeyong repeated before he glared at Ken, eyes starting to glow red.

 **“I need to find out what's going on here. If this kid gets killed, you are all in. You understand?”** he growled. Ken was quiet before he sighed.

“Okay, the guy gave me an envelope through a cracked window, it was tinted, I never saw his face” he admitted as he reached behind his gi and removed an envelope from his belt.

“You basically got paid to look the other way” Jaehyun deadpanned as Taeyong reached into his kit and pulled out an evidence envelope.

“Like I said, I thought it was a custody thing” Ken replied as Taeyong held out the evidence envelope.

“The envelope” he ordered. Ken sighed as he placed the envelope inside and once Taeyong had sealed the evidence envelope, he handed it off to Jaehyun before looking at Ken and placing his hands on his hips.

“Now, Ken, tell me what kind of car it was, and don't make me get down there and measure again” he growled.

“It was, like, a Pontiac…midsize. A Grand Prix, maybe” Ken replied.

“All right. I'll put out a broadcast: _"Stolen grand prix"_ ” Jaehyun declared.

“ _“Stolen grand prix, all colors_ ”. They've had five hours to repaint it” Taeyong ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	35. Case 6: Lost Son - Part 3

Back at the crime lab, down in Mark’s lab, Donghyuck was searching through a binder full of fish that were indigenous to Yadrioria until he finally came upon the fish he was looking for.

“Confirmation. Triploid grass carp. It's, uh, specifically engineered to control aquatic vegetation in the canals. The county dumps them. They eat five times their weight in vegetation” he explained. Mark hummed as he looked over at the photo that Donghyuck had taken of the carp that he found in the black duffel bag.

“Well, Nemo there is, uh, eight inches long, so he was just released” he mused. Donghyuck nodded.

“Right, so, uh, we find out what canal, we'll be able to figure out where our suspect was prior to the ransom handoff” he suggested.

“Six hundred square miles of waterway in Yadrioria” Mark grumbled as he turned to his computer.

“That's okay. We can narrow it down. The county needs a permit to dump carp. So, let’s enter the carp size to find the date and location of the dump” he instructed. Mark nodded and typed in Donghyuck’s instructions and soon his computer “pinged” with a result.

“You got something?” Donghyuck asked. Mark nodded.

“Yeah. Canal number 3329 on Newberry road between 103rd and Fountain” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Mark had found the dump site, Donghyuck headed towards it, since he was the dive expert, and decided to give Taeyong a call to join him. Once he arrived at the site, he quickly went to go get dressed in his wet suit while Taeyong walked over to a pair of tire treads that were left in the mud leading to the water.

“Donghyuck” he called out. Donghyuck looked over at him and quickly walked over, kneeling down next to him as he looked at the tire treads.

“The right kind of treads for a Grand Prix” he mused. Taeyong nodded.

“That's right. The car went in right here” he declared before he stood to his feet.

“Okay. You're going in, Donghyuck” he continued. Donghyuck sighed before he put on the scuba tank and mask and headed into the water. Using an underwater flashlight, Donghyuck searched the car while Taeyong was waiting on the bank for him to surface. Soon bubbles appeared before Donghyuck burst out of the water, lifting the swim goggles from his eyes like sunglasses and removed the breathing piece for the air tank from his mouth.

“Nothing. No sign of the boy inside the car and too much pressure to pop the trunk open” he declared.

“Let’s fish it out of there” Taeyong declared.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, the police’s underwater motor vehicle retrieval company arrived and carefully extracted the car from the water and placed it up onto the bank, where Taeyong and Donghyuck went to go take a look inside the trunk after it was popped open by one of the officers.

“Take a look at that” Taeyong instructed as he lifted the trunk higher, pointing to the marks on the inside of the trunk roof.

“Fingernail marks, right there” he stated. As Donghyuck was staring at the claw marks, Taeyong noticed a long blond hair and immediately summoned an evidence envelope.

“Look at this: a long blond hair. Just like Joey's” he murmured before he picked up the hair and placed it into the evidence envelope. 

“So they had him locked in here” Taeyong mused. Donghyuck hummed.

“It's good. If they were going to kill Joey, they would've left him in here” he added.

“Makes the good news the bad news, doesn't it?” Taeyong asked. Donghyuck looked over at him and raised an eyebrows.

“How do you mean?” he asked.

“They still have him” Taeyong deadpanned.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, the rest of the team, save for Mark, came down to the scene to print and take pictures. 

“Car belongs to a couple in seaside. They reported it stolen two days ago” Jaehyun stated as he walked over to Taeyong.

“I'll process this at CSI, see if I can pull any prints” Doyoung declared, motioning to the car.

“Okay, thank you, Doyoung” Taeyong thanked before he looked at Jaehyun.

“You said there was another problem” he stated. Jaehyun nodded.

“Mmhm. Department of infrastructure wants jurisdiction over the boat. They're towing it out of the water right now” he explained. Taeyong huffed.

“Okay, Donghyuck, go back to the boat and inform DOI that our murder supersedes their bridge failure, please” he ordered. Donghyuck looked up at him and nodded.

“Of course” he replied as he headed towards his Lamborghini.

“So kidnappers sank the car to hide it?” Jaehyun asked, looking over at the car. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, they did. They attempted to destroy evidence, but they left us a calling card. Look at this” he instructed, pointing down at the dirt.

“Footprints” Jaehyun replied as he studied the footprints.

“Joey put up a struggle. He was running” he mused before he motioned with his head towards his left.

“This way” he replied, both men walking over to where a Heely’s rollerblade was left in the dirt.

“This is where they grabbed him” Taeyong whispered before he looked up at Jaehyun.

“Have your officer alert the mother” he ordered. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Taeyong?” he asked.

“I think they're gonna try and cash in a second time” Taeyong growled as he stood to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	36. Case 6: Lost Son - Part 4

At the boat, Donghyuck was standing before a DOI officer on a little dingy.

“Two months before this bridge is retrofitted, and this happens” the officer grumbled as he was signing some paperwork.

“Yes, well, you've got your problems and I've got mine. And we haven't released the crime scene yet” Donghyuck retorted.

“Your crime scene's part of a bridge failure” the officer stated.

“Well, the murder trumps the bridge, okay? So you're going to have to relinquish the boat” Donghyuck explained. The officer gave him a look of exasperation.

“You CSI guys have been dusting and tape-lifting for five hours. What else are you planning on doing to the thing?” he exclaimed as Donghyuck noticed something hanging out of a small vent in the back of the boat.

“Have a look at that” he instructed. The DOI officer leaned over the side and noticed the piece of jewelry hanging from the vent.

“You see that? Must've been jarred loose when the boat was towed. I'm going to have to search the exterior of this vessel” Donghyuck declared. The officer gave him a look before he sighed and consented to let Donghyuck look. After he got consent, Donghyuck got into a dive suit and put on a scuba mask and tank before he went underwater to begin his search. As he was searching he found an open briefcase and near that briefcase, he found what looked like to be jewels. He then quickly swam to the surface and over to the police boat, holding up some of the jewelry that he found.

“Got what looks like over $3 million in jewelry. I'm going to need two more officers” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back at the lab, down in the garage, Doyoung, dressed in goggles and a lab coat, walked around the car and began pouring Ninhydrin on it to try and see if there were any fingerprints left on the car. He first poured it over the hood and top of the car, but nothing came up. He then walked around to the back of the car and poured the rest of the Ninhydrin on the trunk and as the chemical ran over the trunk, on the right side of the trunk, a palm print glowed a deep purple, which is what happens when Ninhydrin reacts with the amino acids in a fingerprint. After she had gotten the palm print, she took a photo of it and took it over to Yuta’s lab, handing it over to the kitsune. When Yuta looked at it, he tsked.

“A palm…it's not as easy as a fingerprint. Lot more surface to scan and compare” he explained. Doyoung nodded.

“I know, but will you call me immediately if you get a hit? We're coming up on eight hours since the Williams boy was abducted” he replied. Yuta nodded.

“I’ll do my best” he assured as he turned to his computer to begin working. Doyoung nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked before he turned and headed back to his own lab. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Sicheng was standing next to Taeyong, holding the results of hair that he found in the trunk of the car.

“I thought you'd want to know; I ran the hairs you found in the car trunk. They're a match to Joey Williams” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Did you confirm them against the DNA for the parents?” he asked.

“Well, parent. Your dead man from the boat is his father. That leaves us with Mrs.

Williams—” Sicheng started.

“—the stepmother” Taeyong finished, eyes widening in shock. Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah. No blood relation” he confirmed. 

“Good to know. Thank you, Winwin” Taeyong murmured. 

“Sure” Sicheng replied before he turned and headed back to his lab.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in Mark’s lab, Mark was examining all of the jewelry that Donghyuck had found from around the boat.

“So these diamonds were hanging off the boat?” he asked. Donghyuck looked over at him and nodded.

“Yeah. Why? What’s the matter?” he replied. Mark shook his head.

“Nothing. They're fake” he deadpanned. Donghyuck’s eyes widened.

“Are you absolutely sure?” he asked. Mark nodded and smiled slightly.

“You might be the fish expert, Donghyuck, but I know gems. This is the latest thing: Laboratory-grown diamonds” he explained, motioning to the array of jewelry before him.

“Like zirconium?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow. Mark shook his head.

“No, they're real diamonds, they're just manmade. Fraction of the price of diamonds from a mine. Take a piece of pure graphite, put it in a ceramic box with some chemicals, then slide the whole thing into a pressure cooker. It simulates the temperature and the pressure fifteen miles below surface. Graphite vaporizes. After three days, they pull out the ceramic box, break it open, and get a diamond crystal. Just like nature, only a million times faster” he explained. Donghyuck was quiet as he looked at him in awe.

“I never knew you knew so much about gems” he breathed. Mark shrugged and smiled slightly.

“I just thought it was fascinating, so I read up on how it works” he explained. Donghyuck smiled and shook his head, just as Taeyong walked into the lab.

“Gentlemen, are these the emeralds?” he asked. 

“Yeah, we were just about to check 'em” Mark replied. Taeyong hummed and leaned down to look into the microscope to examine the emerald underneath it when he frowned.

“Now, wait a second” he murmured as he changed the strength of the lens that he was looking at so that he could get a more magnified view of the surface of the emerald.

“This emerald has a scrape on it. You can't scrape a real emerald” he explained. 

“What's the tool mark?” Donghyuck inquired. Taeyong shook his head.

“It's not a tool mark. It's a tooth mark. Look at the striae pattern” he ordered, stepping away from the microscope so that Donghyuck could have a look. Donghyuck looked into the microscope and studied the mark before he pulled away.

“It's a chipped tooth” he declared.

“Mr. Williams got shot for passing fake jewelry” Taeyong theorized before he looked at Mark.

“Mark, come with me” he ordered. Mark nodded and quickly took off his lab coat, handing it to Donghyuck before following after Taeyong.

~*~*~*~*~

“That's not possible. Our jewelry's real. We don't own replicas” Mrs. Williams explained to Taeyong and Mark after they told her about the jewelry.

“Did your husband know that?” Taeyong asked.

“Meaning what?” Mrs. Williams demanded.

“Meaning that it's possible that you swapped out the fake ones for the real ones and didn't tell him” Taeyong explained.

“You sent him in with a fake ransom. That sounds like a two-fer. Gets rid of the old man. Now you can collect on insurance money for jewelry you never lost in the first place” Mark added.

“You think I'd put my son's life at risk like that?” Mrs. Williams growled.

“Don't you mean your stepson?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow. Mrs. Williams blinked while Taeyong crossed his arms.

“You neglected to mention that, didn't you” he growled. Mrs. Williams huffed.

“We're a blended family. We don't use those terms” she stated.

“You see, the problem, Mrs. Williams, is that you've withheld information and it makes you look complicit in his abduction” Taeyong explained. Mrs. Williams huffed again before she walked over to the dining room table and picked up a piece of paper, walking back over to Taeyong and handed it to him.

“We got the jewelry appraised last year” she declared.

“A lot can happen in a year. Now, who else had access to those jewels?” Taeyong demanded.

“Just me and my husband. We keep them in the vault” Mrs. Williams explained.

“Did you ever have them cleaned?” Taeyong asked.

“After events, sure. At McCauley Jewelers” Mrs. Williams replied.

“McCauley Jewelers, Mark” Taeyong declared before he looked at Mrs. Williams.

“Thank you” he thanked before he and Mark left the residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	37. Case 6: Lost Son - Part 5

“I bet that Rolls belongs to the owner” Mark stated when he and Taeyong pulled up to the jewelers and got out of the Lamborghini.

“It’s a nice car” he continued. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“You like cars?” he asked. Mark looked over at him and nodded.

“Always have” he replied. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“You should hang out with Jaehyun for a weekend. He loves cars” he explained. Mark smiled slightly in return.

“Sounds like fun” he replied as he and Taeyong headed up the steps and into the jewelers.

“We're here to see Mr. McCauley, please” Taeyong stated when he and Mark stepped inside, walking over to a man in a suit.

“Oh, Mr. McCauley is the previous owner. I'm the new owner, Rudolph Koehler. Call me Rudy” the man, Rudy, introduced before he glanced over at Mark, who began to look around. He then turned back to Taeyong and smiled slightly.

“But maybe I can help you with something, officer. I'd be more than happy to help the police” he offered. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, I've recently been speaking to your customer, Mrs. Tawny Williams” he stated as Mark continued to look around the store, passing by smiling salesclerks before he reached the back, where the stone cutters and jewelry cleaners were and noticed that one of the workers just climbed underneath the bench. He frowned and slowly removed his side-piece from his holster, making Taeyong look over at him.

“Yes, I just heard the news about her husband. It's tragic. She's such a nice lady” Rudy started when Taeyong held up a hand.

“Excuse me” he ordered, silencing Rudy as he looked at Mark.

“Mark?” he called out. Mark glanced back at him before he completely removed his gun from his holster. Taeyong quickly got the message and gave Rudy a look.

“Stay put” he ordered before he headed over to Mark.

“She and her husband were very good customers” Rudy continued, just as the back door to the jewelry store opened and a man with a gun stepped out. Taeyong’s eyes widened and he quickly pulled his own gun out of its holster.

“Mark!” he shouted, just as the man in the back room fired two shots, making the glass that separated the storeroom and the work room shatter and the employees scream and duck for cover. Mark quickly fired off a shot and missed, just as the man in the back fired a shot and hit him in the left shoulder.

“Gah!” he cried as he flew back and hit the floor, causing Rudy to go running out the door.

“Mark!” Taeyong shouted before he fired a shot at the man, shattering another glass window.

“I’m good!” Mark shouted as he slowly sat up into a sitting position and raised his gun, firing off another shot and expertly hitting the man in the back room in the side of his neck, causing him to go down. Another man then came out of the back room and fired at Taeyong, who quickly dove and rolled before popping back up and firing off the rest of his rounds. Mark fired as well, both CSIs missing the assailant, mainly because the dude was running and it’s hard to shoot at someone who’s running. Once he got away, Taeyong quickly ran over to Mark and knelt down next to him.

“Mark, are you okay?” he demanded. Mark hissed as he looked down at his bleeding shoulder, which was bleeding rather profusely, and nodded slightly.

“I think so” he replied. Taeyong let out a sigh of relief before he pulled out his walkie-talkie and pressed the “talk button”.

“This is CSI Lee. I’ve got a 444, shots fired” he snapped into the walkie-talkie. He then scooted closer to Mark and let the man lean against him, because he knew that he was rapidly losing blood.

“You’re okay Mark. You’re okay” he soothed, reaching up to gently stroke Mark’s hair.

 _“All units, shots fired. Officer-involved shooting, McCauley Jewelers”_ the dispatch officer stated through the walkie-talkie.

~*~*~*~*~

Within a few minutes, paramedics arrived and walked over to Taeyong and Mark with a gurney, placing the gurney next to them before gently helping Mark onto it. They then strapped him in and led him away while some of Jaehyun’s police officers handcuffed Rudy and took him over to one of their cruisers, along with the second gunman. When Doyoung and Taeil arrived on scene, they quickly ran over to Taeyong, eyes wide with fear.

“We heard about the officer involved shooting. What happened?” Taeil demanded.

“Mark got hit. But he’s going to be fine. He got hit in the arm, so he might be out for a while, but he’ll be fine” Taeyong assured. Doyoung and Taeil let out sighs of relief before Doyoung huffed.

“When Donghyuck finds out that Mark got hit, he’s gonna flip his shit” he grumbled. 

“Yes, I’m sure he will” Taeyong agreed before he looked over at Taeil. 

“The body of the man Mark shot is in the back. Be careful of the glass. There’s a lot of it” he instructed. Taeil nodded and headed off towards the back while Taeyong headed over to Doyoung, handing him his gun and Mark’s gun.

“Here, I know you have to start processing the firearms evidence. This is mine and this is Mark’s” he stated, handing Doyoung his gun first before handing her Mark’s gun.

“Is there anything that I should know about the shooting?” Doyoung asked. Taeyong hummed.

“No, only that Mark saw something and in the next few moments, we were being shot at. Both of our guns worked just fine. But you’re the expert, so I’m sure you can confirm that” he replied. Doyoung nodded.

“I’ll get right on it” he replied as she turned and headed out of the door. Taeyong then followed after him and walked over to Jaehyun, who motioned with his chin to the second shooter.

“Patrol picked him up two blocks away. He only speaks Bulgarian. Now we're waiting on a translator” he stated. Taeyong narrowed his eyes at the shooter before he shook his head.

“I am _not_ going to wait” he growled before he headed over to Rudy.

“Taeyong!” Jaehyun exclaimed, quickly following after his partner, watching as Taeyong non-too-politely shoved Rudy against the squad car.

“Film at 11:00” he hissed as he walked over to Taeyong. Taeyong glanced over at the news network and huffed before he looked back at Rudy.

“I'm going to put you in the car” he murmured. Rudy nodded and got into the car and looked up at Taeyong as he glared down at him.

“Where is the boy?” he snarled. Rudy frowned.

“What boy?” he replied.

**“Rudy,** ** _do not_** **play with me”** Taeyong growled, eyes flashing red.

“We swap stones on jewelry. I don't know anything about a boy” Rudy explained.

“You didn't conspire with Mrs. Williams to kidnap her own son, is that what you're telling me?” Taeyong demanded.

“What? Kidnap? I barely know Mrs. Williams. I may be a thief, but that's all” Rudy exclaimed.

“Who were the gunmen inside, then?” Taeyong snarled.

“Security, I hire them. But only to protect the stones” Rudy assured. Taeyong narrowed his eyes before he huffed and stepped back, shutting the door of the cruiser before looking over at Jaehyun.

“He goes nowhere” he declared before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the lab, Doyoung was down in his lab, beginning his examination of Mark and Taeyong’s gun. He first started with Mark’s gun, removing the clip before opening the chamber, looking inside to find that the barrel was exceptionally clean. When he looked down the other end at the firing pin, he found that it was clean as well. 

“Taeyong was right…Mark does clean his guns well” he murmured to himself.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in Donghyuck’s lab, Donghyuck was standing before a computer that was searching through their database to try and find a match to the palm print that Doyoung found on the trunk of the car. As he was standing before it, Taeyong walked in and placed his hands on his hips.

“So, this is the palm print Doyoung found on the trunk of the car?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yes, this thing has been searching for a palm print match for hours” he gritted out. Taeyong sighed.

“Okay, Donghyuck, hang in there” he soothed. Donghyuck glared up at him.

“That little kid is out there, depending on this…box. I hate it, I want to do something” he spat. Taeyong knew the real reason why he was angry; he found out that Mark had been shot and he was not too happy about that fact.

“I understand, but this is the course of action, so let's keep going” he soothed. Donghyuck opened his mouth to argue when the computer suddenly beeped with a “positive match” result. When he looked at the screen, the print matched a man by the name of “Pete Keller”.

“Pete Keller. Priors for forgery, embezzlement, fraud and theft” he declared.

“And now kidnapping. And Donghyuck, if you want to do something, let's get this guy Keller. He's got the kid” Taeyong snarled. 

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, S.W.A.T went to Keller’s last known address and when they arrived, they knocked on his door and as soon as he opened the door and saw who it was, he immediately jumped over the railing and onto the gravel below, groaning in pain as a S.W.A.T officer walked over to him and cuffed his hands behind his back.

“Did you get anything?” Taeyong demanded as he and Donghyuck stepped out of the shadows and over to the officer.

“Found a weapon on him, sir” the officer replied, holding up a handgun.

“Ooh, a .22…just like the one that killed Mr. Williams” Taeyong mused before he looked into Pete’s eyes.

“Where's the boy, Pete?” he growled.

“I don't know who you're talking about” Pete replied. Donghyuck then narrowed his eyes as he stared at Pete’s mouth.

“Got a chipped tooth, there, bud” he sneered.

“Yeah, I busted it when I was a kid” Pete replied. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, you didn't. You got it biting down on a fake emerald before you shot Mr. Williams. Now, your plan went south, and you had to scramble, didn't you?” he sneered.

“Jump ship, get back to shore, get back to the kid. Where is he?” Donghyuck demanded.

“I don't know. It's out of my hands now” Pete answered.

“Where did you stash him?” Taeyong growled.

“Why don't you ask Tawny?” Pete snapped.

“Mrs. Williams?” Taeyong asked.

“Yeah. It was all her idea” Pete explained. Taeyong and Donghyuck were silent before they turned and walked away, heading back into the shadows.

~*~*~*~*~

When they returned to the crime lab, Donghyuck headed back to his lab while Taeyong headed over to Jaehyun’s desk and asked him to look into Tawny’s background. Jaehyun did what he was told and typed Tawny’s name into the database, but his results came back with nothing.

“Fuck” he swore before he took a deep breath and shook his head.

“All right, let's try this” he murmured as he decided to start a new search on “Pete Keller”. When his profile appeared, Jaehyun clicked on the tab for “known associates” and soon a name and picture appeared, making his eyes widened. 

“Well…what do you know” he murmured as he blew up the picture of Tawny Williams and compared it to Keller’s known associate “Sissy Huber”; they were the same person.

~*~*~*~*~

After Jaehyun had discovered his results, he walked over to Taeyong with a file of Sissy Huber’s track record.

“I got a hit on Keller's known associates” he stated.

“Tawny Williams” Taeyong deadpanned, making Jaehyun nod.

“That's right, only she went by Sissy Huber back then” he explained as he opened up the file and handed it over to Taeyong.

“Sissy Huber…Whiteshore, Rockdale. Fraud, theft, embezzlement” Taeyong read aloud before he shut the file and began walking, Jaehyun walking next to him.

“Look at their victims: rich men in their 50s and 60s” Jaehyun stated.

“Broke their hearts, then broke their bank accounts, didn't she?” Taeyong asked, glancing over at his partner. Jaehyun nodded.

“Looks like it” he agreed.

“Let's bring her in” Taeyong ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	38. Case 6: Lost Son - Part 6

“Lieutenant, I mean, really. Shouldn't I be home in case someone calls?” Mrs. Williams snapped as she sat before Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“Someone like Pete Keller?” Taeyong inquired, raising an eyebrow at her. Mrs. Williams’ eyes widened in shock.

“Your boyfriend is in custody for kidnapping” Jaehyun added, motioning with his chin to Pete, who was being led in by two officers.

“Pete did this? Well, I haven't seen Pete in years” Mrs. Williams breathed. Taeyong frowned and crossed his arms.

“He murders your husband, he kidnaps your stepson, and I'm to believe you haven't seen him in years _Sissy_?” he asked as he slid over her file.

“This is a list of known associates, and it appears that you and Pete have been separating people from their money for quite a while” he continued.

“Usually older, rich men” Jaehyun added. Mrs. Williams was quiet before she sighed.

“I ripped off rich guys. Okay? I admit it. We picked them out of the society page in the herald” she explained.

“Is that how you found your husband?” Jaehyun inquired.

“Yeah, he…Reed had just been widowed. He was like a prime target. Only this time, it was different. I fell in love with him. Okay? I fell in love with his son” Mrs. Williams explained before she looked up at Taeyong.

“You said I'd been hiding something. That's it. My past. I've been trying to make some changes in my life. People do change. Please find him” she begged. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the next interrogation room, Taeyong walked over to where Pete was sitting and stood behind him.

“Where's Joey, Pete?” he asked calmly.

“I told you: ask Tawny. Although, she's still Sissy to me” Pete replied before Taeyong none-too-gently grabbed his hair and yanked his head back so that he was looking up at him.

**“Pete, I suggest you stop playing games with me because I am two seconds away from snapping you into oblivion so I warn you to take this last opportunity and talk to me”** he growled.

“You already got me for murdering her old man. Why would I help you out ?” Pete gritted.

**“Because the boy will be killed unless you do”** Taeyong snarled, tightening his grip on Pete’s hair.

“Guess that will break Sissy's heart, won't it” Pete sneered, making Taeyong yank his hair again.

 **“And isn't that, Pete, what you are really interested in?”** Taeyong growled before he released Pete’s hair and walked out of the interrogation room, heading down to Sicheng’s lab.

~*~*~*~*~

In Sicheng’s lab, Taeyong walked over to Sicheng and placed his hands on his hips.

“Have we processed the envelope with 100s from Ken Timmins, the martial arts guy?” he asked.

“The cash wasn't helpful, but the envelope was” Sicheng replied, typing on a few keys before an image appeared, making Taeyong frown.

“Translation please” he asked.

“It's a bill” Sicheng explained.

“It is a bill for karate lessons” Taeyong deduced, looking at the photo.

“The pay-off envelope, it didn't come from Pete Keller” Sicheng declared. Taeyong shook his head.

“No. It came from inside the dojo, which means that Timmins and Keller are partners” he growled before he turned away, grabbing Donghyuck on the way out.

~*~*~*~*~

When Taeyong and Donghyuck headed to the dojo, they headed for the storage room and Donghyuck began to take pictures.

“Good thing he never cleans his storeroom” he murmured as Taeyong knelt before him and motioned to a footprint on the tile.

“Take a look at this. This is mud” he declared before he studied the footprint a little more.

“Let's see what else is here…he's gonna take Joey somewhere he's been before, someplace remote” he murmured. Donghyuck shook his head as he took a scalpel from his kit and scraped up a little drop of clear substance.

“No. I've got some kind of sap. I'm gonna rush this over to Yuta” he declared. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay. I'll be on the cell” he assured as Donghyuck stood up and headed back to his Lamborghini, getting in and heading back to the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the lab, Donghyuck handed the sap over to Yuta and patiently waited for him to run the test.

“How you holding up?” Yuta asked as he placed the vial into the mass spectrometer and pressed a few buttons, starting the machine.

“As well as I can” Donghyuck replied with a sigh. Yuta looked over at him and smiled slightly as he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“He’ll be fine, Donghyuck” he assured. Donghyuck gave him a grateful smile, just as the machine beeped.

“Mass spec's got something. Hydroxyphorboloxide. From the Manchineel tree” Yuta declared as his computer popped up the results and the location of the tree.

“Only found in Hell's Bay” Donghyuck whispered.

“Where the ocean meets the glades” Yuta added. Donghyuck shook his head as he pulled out his phone.

“That's sharks and gators. This guy is slick” he growled as he dialed Taeyong’s phone number and put it to his ear, making Yuta frown.

“Slick? Why?” he asked, just as Taeyong answered the phone.

_“Lee”_ he answered.

“Hyung. Yeah, he's got him in Hell’s Bay” Donghyuck stated. 

_“He can't bring himself to kill the kid, Donghyuck. He's going to let the sharks do it. Now there's one way in. Meet me there”_ Taeyong ordered before he hung up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	39. Case 6: Lost Son - CASE CLOSED

At Hell’s Bay, Taeyong was hauling ass in his Lamborghini, driving almost recklessly until he found a black jeep parked near an open lake and as he slowed to nearly a crawl, he saw a little blonde boy sitting on a broken piece of dock. He then turned off his car and got out, removing his gun from his holster as he shut his car door and slowly made his way towards the black jeep.

“Joey. Stay right there, son. I'm coming to get you” he called out.

“I’m scared” Joey called back, a tremor in his voice. Taeyong said nothing as he looked inside the car and when he found no one, he turned back to Joey.

“You hang in there, Joey” he instructed as he removed his badge, phone, and gun, placing them on the bank.

“Don't go in there” Joey begged as he looked over at the bloody white shirt that was floating in the water, the remnants of what happened to Ken Timmons after he placed Joey on the dock. Taeyong looked at the shirt too before he took a deep breath and plunged into the water, that only went up to his waist.

“It's all right. Come on” he soothed as he slowly walked through the water, holding out a hand to Joey.

“Why don't you reach your hand?” he asked gently. He waited patiently until Joey reached out and took his hand.

“That a boy” Taeyong praised as he took Joey and placed him on his shoulder like a sack of rice.

“There you go, right on my shoulder. I got you” he assured as he trudged back to the bank, just as two police cruisers came speeding into the entrance of Hell’s Bay, Donghyuck jumping out of the car just as Taeyong stepped onto the bank.

“Code four, Donghyuck. Put it out. We've got the primary” he declared. Donghyuck nodded and rushed back to the cruiser as Taeyong removed Joey from his arms and placed him gently on the bank.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Joey and Taeyong arrived back at the crime lab and headed down to the crime lab, where Mrs. Williams was waiting. When they stepped out of the elevator, Taeyong looked over at the pacing woman and smiled slightly.

“Mrs. Williams?” he called out. The woman stopped pacing and turned to see Joey holding Taeyong’s hand, making her gasp.

“Joey” she breathed. Joey looked over at her and burst into a smile as he took his hand out of Taeyong’s and rushed over to her, jumping into her arms.

“Mommy!” he exclaimed. Mrs. Williams smiled as she hugged Joey tightly, petting his hair gently.

“Oh, god. Oh. I thought I lost you” she murmured, giving him a kiss on the cheek before putting him down and looking over at Taeyong, who was smiling fondly at them.

“Thank you. It never occurred to me that Pete was involved. That he would hurt a child” she explained. Taeyong sighed as he walked over to them and placed his hands on his hips.

“Well, Mrs. Williams, jealousy is a powerful motivator. And Pete is going away for a long time, so you guys are going to be safe now” he promised. Mrs. Williams smiled before she cleared her throat.

“I heard about your CSI. How is he doing?” she asked. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“He’s going to be alright” he assured before he looked down at Joey.

“Take care, buddy” he bid. Joey and Mrs. Williams nodded before they turned and walked away. As they were leaving, Doyoung walked over to him and handed him a file.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“The report” Doyoung replied. Taeyong opened it and looked down at what Doyoung wrote, noting that his weapon expended six rounds while Mark’s expended four.

“You were right. Mark cleans his guns exceptionally well” Doyoung mused. Taeyong chuckled.

“That he does” he agreed. Doyoung then crossed his arms.

“Have you heard any word yet?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No” he replied, just as his phone rang. He quickly answered it and put it to his ear.

“Lee” he answered. He listened for a few minutes before he nodded.

“Alright, thank you” he thanked before he looked over at Doyoung, who raised an eyebrow at him.

“Mark just finished surgery. It might take a few weeks to heal, since he is relative fit and healthy, but he’s fine” he explained. Doyoung let out a breath of relief before he cleared his throat.

“Let me drop that report off in the “out-going” box and then I’ll grab the others so we can go see Mark” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

After Doyoung had gathered Yuta, Sicheng, Donghyuck, Taeil, and Jaehyun, all of the CSIs headed down to the hospital and asked where Mark’s room was. The nurse smiled at them and motioned for them to follow her down the hall to a room where she knocked on the door gently before opening it.

“Mr. Lee. You have visitors” she stated softly before she stepped back and let Taeyong, Taeil, Doyoung, Donghyuck, Yuta, Sicheng, and Jaehyun step into the room to see Mark sitting on a hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown, with his left arm bandaged and in a sling.

“Mark!” Donghyuck cried, running over to Mark and reaching out, gently caressing his face.

“Hi Hyuck” Mark murmured, leaning into the archdemon’s touch.

“How are you feeling?” Taeil asked, crossing his arms.

“Better, all things considering” Mark replied, looking back at him. 

“How long do you have to stay here?” Sicheng inquired.

“Not too long…I know I can’t work for a few weeks due to the bullet wound in my shoulder, even though it didn’t hit bone, they just want to make sure that the muscles aren’t weakened” Mark replied.

“Why don’t you just heal it?” Yuta asked, making everyone else look at him with raised eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” Taeyong asked. Yuta shrugged.

“Well, Mark is a supernatural being, and the rest of us are supernatural beings, so don’t you think that we could easily heal Mark and get him back to work?” he explained. Everyone was silent before Jaehyun nodded.

“That’s…actually not a bad idea” he mused. 

“Well, who should be the one to heal Mark then?” Doyoung asked. Everyone was quiet before Yuta motioned to Taeil.

“Why not Taeil? He’s a doctor” he suggested. Taeil gave him a look.

“Yeah, but I work with dead people, not live ones!” he exclaimed before looking over at Mark.

“No offense” he murmured. Mark smiled and shook his head.

“None taken” he replied. Taeil then sighed.

“Alright, I’ll do it. Move” he ordered, shooing Donghyuck away from the bed as he walked over to Mark, placing his hand gently on Mark’s bandaged shoulder.

“This might sting a little” he murmured. Mark nodded and braced himself as Taeil poured some of his grace into him, healing the wound and smoothing the skin so it was like he had never been shot. Taeil then removed the bandage and smiled when he saw the results of his work.

“What do you think, Mark?” he asked. Mark looked over at his shoulder and smiled when he saw that there was no scar and that his skin was completely smooth.

“Thank you” he breathed before he threw his arms around Taeil, hugging him tightly. Taeil blinked before he hugged the young man tightly, giving him a squeeze.

“Yeah, you’re welcome. Just don’t go getting shot again, you hear? Nearly gave all of us a heart attack” he scolded softly. Mark chuckled and shook his head as he pulled away.

“It wasn’t intentional, you know” he replied.

“Yes, but still. In the future, please try to not get shot” Donghyuck begged. Mark looked around at his friends in his hospital room, and sighed before smiling.

“Alright. I promise” he agreed.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	40. Case 7: Felony Flight - Part 1

It was a nice, bright day as four teenagers sped down a dirt road in the glades in a bright yellow sports car. 

“Laura, every time we’re on the dance floor, you do those things with your lips!” one of the male teenagers exclaimed.

“I do not!” Laura, the blonde teenager, exclaimed.

“Yeah, you do!” the driver, the other male teenager, replied. Laura just rolled her eyes before she looked down at the magazine that was in her hand.

“Okay, #6: what’s the crazy place you’ve ever _done it_?” she read aloud.

“Uh, have to say my boss’s desk” the driver replied, making the other three laugh. Soon all of them were laughing until Laura looked over and narrowed her eyes.

“Hey, look at that plane” she called out, making the others look over.

“Oh wow, it's pretty low isn’t it?” the driver asked.

“It’s turning towards us” the other male teenager stated. Laura then gasped before she looked over at the other female in the car.

“Let's flash them” she suggested.

“Yeah, flash ‘em” the driver agreed. Laura and the other girl then pulled down their tank tops, revealing their breasts, but the plane kept heading straight for them.

“Hey, is that thing in trouble?” the other girl asked.

“It looks like it's coming straight at us” Laura replied.

“No” the other girl argued. As the plane kept coming towards them, the other girl looked at the driver.

“Is it? Is it?!” she exclaimed.

“It’s on fire!” the driver shouted.

“Dude, swerve!” the male teenager shouted, making the driver swerve off the road as the girls screamed and the plane flew over them and crashed nearby. The driver then back up over to the plane and all of the teens got out, walking over to the wreck. As they walked over, the plane’s door opened and a man in grey prison overalls stepped out.

“Are you okay?” one of the male’s asked. The man nodded.

“I am. I think my copilot needs some help, though” he replied, pointing to where a man was coughing as he came out of the plane.

“Sure, yeah. Anything” the male replied as the co-pilot walked out and over to the first man, his hands in handcuffs.

“Are those handcuffs?” the other girl asked. The man who got out of the plane first narrowed his eyes before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun, pointing it at the teenagers.

“Oh my God” the other girl breathed. The teen that offered help gasped and turned to run, but before he could even get anywhere, the man fired off a shot, hitting him in the back before shooting at the other teens. He then turned on his co-pilot, making the other man throw up his hands in surrender.

“Don't, don't. Please don't” he begged.

“Make it worth my while” the first man ordered.

“I'll do anything you say” the other prisoner offered. The first man smirked.

“Oh, you say that now” he teased before he pointed at the car.

“Get in the car” he ordered. The man nodded and slowly walked over to the car, the other man following behind. The two men then got in the car and drove off, leaving the four bodies on the ground.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeyong and his team were on the scene along with other police officers and CSU.

“Copilot dead, too, Jaehyun?” Taeyong asked, looking over at Jaehyun, who nodded.

“Yeah, he's inside” he replied.

“He's got the Marshal's gun” Taeyong added. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yeah, pilot radioed a Mayday. Controller couldn't understand what he was saying” he explained, making Taeyong cross his arms as he looked at the wrecked plane.

“Jaehyun, this plane was sabotaged. Witnesses saw smoke a mile away” he stated, making Jaehyun shake his head.

“Well, this is gonna fall on the Chief. He's the one who approved Henry Darius flying down to Yadrioria to find the body of Lydia Johnson” he reminded.

“Against my wishes” Taeyong grumbled.

“Kids' parents say, they, uh, drove a yellow convertible Mustang. I'll put out a broadcast. Henry Darius and a convict to be named later” Jaehyun declared.

“Armed and dangerous, Jaehyun” Taeyong reminded.

~*~*~*~*~

While Jaehyun and Taeyong were discussing the bodies, inside the plane, Doyoung and Donghyuck were examining it, trying to figure out what went wrong. As they were looking around, Donghyuck noticed that the floor panel for the electrical for the plane was missing.

“Floor panel's gone” he called out before he took his camera and snapped a photo of it.

“All of these wires are the electrical switch assembly. Insulations ripped off that pipe. Looks like a coolant duct” he continued after he put the camera down. Doyoung hummed as he walked over, bending over to look over Donghyuck’s shoulder.

“So, somebody punctured it” he mused. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah. That puncture released hot gas, so I bet I bet our guy has burns on his hands” he theorized before he pointed to the ruptured pipe.

“That pipe right there, that pipe contains hot, bleed air. Keeps it away from the engines” he continued. Doyoung nodded

“When he punctured the pipe, it caused a slow leak, and that raised the temperature of the engine” he deduced. 

“And caused an emergency landing” Donghyuck added before he stood to his feet.

“I’m gonna go look for the black box” he declared. Doyoung nodded.

“Alright” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Back outside the plane, Jaehyun walked over to Taeyong.

“Notified Lecleusia” he stated.

“Appreciate it” Taeyong replied.

“Lieutenant Seo sends his regards, offers his services” Jaehyun continued.

“Johnny’s a good man” Taeyong murmured.

“I figured you'd say that. I'll tell him to come down” Jaehyun suggested. Taeyong nodded as he placed his hands on his hips and looked into Jaehyun’s eyes.

“We need everybody that Darius dealt with at Attica, okay?” he ordered.

“I'll tell him” Jaehyun assured before he turned and walked away. Taeyong nodded again.

“Thank you” he thanked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	41. Case 7: Felony Flight - Part 2

Back at the lab, Mark was down in one of the computer labs, watching Henry Darius’s interrogation tape.

_“I waited till the kid got out of the car. He was about six, seven years old”_ Darius stated to the officer.

_“Mrs. Johnson’s son. What did you do after that?”_ the officer asked.

_“I got in the car and held a gun to her head. She was fighting, screaming, so I took care of it”_ Darius replied.

_“Took care of it how?”_ the officer asked.

_“Shot her. She didn't make a peep after that”_ Darius replied.

_“I'm gonna ask you again. Where did you bury her body?”_ the officer asked.

_“Now, you dig deeper than that. And there's no reason for you to take me all the way from Lecleusia to Yadrioria to show you her body, is there?”_ Darius asked, raising an eyebrow.

_“Yadrioria’s not putting you on a plane without something”_ the officer replied. Darius was quiet before he leaned forward.

_“She had on a pearl Rolex. A fake pearl Rolex”_ he stated. Mark stared at the screen, blinking as he tried to take in what Darius was saying.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the lobby of the crime lab, Taeyong was standing before Mr. James Johnson, Lydia Johnson’s husband.

“Mr. Johnson” he started.

“Lieutenant, I own the largest conglomerate of radio stations in Yadrioria, so, of course, I heard the news, but I would have appreciated a phone call” James snapped. Taeyong sighed.

“Sir, I understand, and I'm sorry you had to find out like this” he apologized.

“So, you guys found the guy who killed my wife, and you let him get away?” James hissed.

“Mr. Johnson, it's possible that Henry Darius did not kill your wife” Taeyong explained calmly.

“Then why did you bring him down here from a Lecleusia prison?” James demanded.

“To provide us with information about where she's buried” Taeyong replied.

“I said it a year ago, and I'm still holding out hope that Lydia's alive” James explained. Taeyong nodded.

“I understand, but with the amount of blood that we recovered from her vehicle, I think that's unlikely” he murmured. James was quiet before he motioned to a little boy around the age of five sitting nearby.

“My son still waits for his mother to come home. He won't let me turn out the porch light. If we could have some closure, it'd help” he explained.

“Mr. Johnson, I am going to do everything in my power to find your wife, okay?” Taeyong assured. James nodded before he turned and walked over to his son. Taeyong watched the two men before he turned and walked away. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back down in the computer lab, Mark was sitting in front of the computer, re-watching the Henry Darius interview, but this time, Doyoung had joined him.

“What are we looking for?” Mark asked softly. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't know yet” he replied, just as soft.

_“Shot her”_ Darius stated on the tape.

_“Let me ask you again. Where did you bury her body?”_ the officer demanded. As they continued to watch the tape, Doyoung shook his head again.

“Dead eyes. It's the scariest kind of criminal” he murmured.

_“Mr. Hoberman helped me. Now, you dig deeper than that”_ Darius ordered. Doyoung then frowned.

“That’s interesting” he murmured. Mark frowned and looked over at him.

“What?” he asked as Doyoung rewound the tape.

_“Mr. Hoberman helped me”_ Darius stated once more. Doyoung then looked over at Mark.

“Did you look into the files on Darius?” he asked.

“Homicide did. They looked at the files here and in Lecleusia, but there's no mention of a Hoberman” Mark replied. Doyoung hummed as he played the tape again.

_“Now, you dig deeper”_ Darius stated and Doyoung rewound the tape.

_“Now, you dig deeper”_ Darius repeated before Doyoung rewound the tape once more.

_“Now, you dig deeper”_ Darius taunted. Doyoung then shook his head.

“Dig deeper. He's playing with us” he grumbled. Mark frowned.

“He's playing how?” he asked.

“I don't know. Let's pull up all the newspapers surrounding the day Mrs. Johnson went missing” Doyoung ordered. 

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the computer lab, in another empty lab, Doyoung and Mark were going through all of the newspapers that were published the day Mrs. Johnson went missing.

“Got an ad here for new condos on Collins. Digging begins winter of '18. No Hoberman” Doyoung grumbled as he read aloud from one newspaper.

“I got an archeological dig up in St. Augustine” Mark replied.

“Any mention of Hoberman?” Doyoung asked.

“No” Mark replied, shaking his head. Doyoung sighed before he and Mark continued to go through the newspapers until Doyoung found something.

“Got an ad here for Hobie boards. Maybe it's a bastardization of Hoberman” she murmured, just as Mark found something.

“Hyung” he called out.

“It could happen” Doyoung argued.

“Hyung” Mark snapped, making Doyoung look up.

“Obituaries. Atticus Hoberman, died October 31, 2018” Mark stated, motioning to the paper in his hand. Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“That's the day before Lydia Johnson went missing” he breathed.

“But he was interred November 2. That was the day after she went missing” Mark continued. Doyoung was quiet before he hummed.

“ _“Dig deep.”_ Does it say what cemetery?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Yeah. Montefiore Acres, Surfglide Way” he replied. 

“We're gonna need a warrant” Doyoung declared.

“And some heavy equipment” Mark added. Doyoung nodded before he and Mark left the lab, grabbing Taeil on the way out.

~*~*~*~*~

At the cemetery, Doyoung flashed his warrant and got the cemetery to exhume Atticus Hoberman’s body. After the grave was dug up and the coffin was placed on the ground, Taeil went to work examining it.

“Coffin's wood. Still looks new” he stated.

“Let's see if Lydia Johnson’s inside” Mark murmured. Taeil then opened up the front half of the coffin and looked down at the man inside of it.

“According to the file, Mr. Hoberman died peacefully of natural causes. Everything looks consistent” he stated before he pulled on some gloves and reached down into the coffin, feeling underneath the body.

“No Lydia” he declared.

“She's not under him?” Doyoung asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeil looked up at him and shook his head.

“Not in this casket. He's in here alone” he replied as Mark looked over into the grave, eyes widening.

“Guys” he called out, making Taeil and Doyoung look over.

“What is it?” Taeil asked.

“It's a shovel” Mark replied as he summoned one of his cameras and snapped a few shots before jumping down into the grave, brushing away the dirt from the buried shovel.

“It was under the coffin” he stated as he pulled out the shovel and stood up, showing it to Doyoung.

_“Dig deeper”_ he quoted. 

“It’s surrounded by cement” Doyoung mused.

“Crypts are set the day before” Taeil added.

“So, Lydia couldn't be buried here” Doyoung declared. Mark huffed before he looked at the shovel.

“Well, she had to be buried somewhere, and there's blood on the shovel. Bet if we test it, it's hers” he stated. Taeil then shook his head.

“Your Henry Darius is one tricky guy. Looked in the paper for burials, showed up before the ceremony, and put the shovel in a stranger's freshly dug grave” he murmured. Doyoung huffed, crossing his arms.

“Where no one would ever think to look” he added. Mark was quiet before he smirked.

“You know, the funny thing is, by burying the shovel in the crypt, he may have preserved the evidence” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	42. Case 7: Felony Flight - Part 3

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong stood outside with his hands on his hips, looking off to the side when his head immediate turned at the sound of a Hummer being parked. Donghyuck then hopped out, making him breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Donghyuck. The black box” he stated as Donghyuck walked over to him. Donghyuck huffed.

“I got it, but the feds swooped in and took it. I did get the pilot's transcripts, though” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, that's good enough” he stated. Donghyuck then looked down at the transcript.

“He told Yadrioria International he was diverting to Opa-Locka. There was a lot of stress in his voice—” he started when Taeyong held up a hand.

“Wait a second…diverting to Opa-Locka Airport?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, then mechanical problems brought him down a couple of miles short, he crash landed” he explained, causing Taeyong to look off into the distance. 

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“Somebody may still be waiting for him, Donghyuck” Taeyong replied. Donghyuck nodded.

“All right, I'll tell Jaehyun” he assured. 

“Have him meet me there” Taeyong ordered before he walked over to Donghyuck’s car while Donghyuck headed inside the headquarters to find Jaehyun.

~*~*~*~*~

At Opa-Locka airport, Taeyong and Jaehyun walked over to a young woman standing beside a silver convertible.

“He's not gonna make it, ma'am” Taeyong called out as he and Jaehyun walked over to the woman, making her turn and look at him.

“Excuse me?” she asked. Taeyong then turned to face her.

“Henry Darius. He's not gonna show” he explained. The woman shook her head.

“I don't know who you're talking about” she replied. Taeyong shook his head as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Ma'am, we have a list of his pen pals from Attica” he explained.

“Prisoners troll the Internet. Freedom of speech b.s. and those lowlifes reel in women like you” Jaehyun added.

“Women that fall in love with serial killers” Taeyong finished. The woman was quiet before she nodded.

“Darius and I did correspond. He's very nice, thoughtful, and caring, exceptionally intelligent” she stated. Taeyong hummed.

“So you thought you'd spring him from prison” he mused.

“He diverts a plane, you're here to whisk him away to your villa, is that right?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow. The woman shook her head again.

“I have no idea what you're talking about” she replied.

“Then you won't mind us checking that bag” Taeyong deadpanned, looking at the large bag that was in the backseat of the car. The woman opened her mouth in shock before she quickly shut it and shrugged. Jaehyun then walked over to the car and opened the bag, scanning the amount of money inside.

“Looks like about 20 large” he declared.

“It's mine” the woman snapped. Taeyong then crossed his arms.

“Ma'am, if I were to guess, I would say that's expense money for Mr. Zhao” he stated. The woman looked over at him and smirked as Jaehyun’s phone rang, making him step off to the side to answer it.

“You prove that. You can reach me on Hibiscus Island” she stated. Taeyong smiled slightly and nodded, just as Jaehyun hung up the call.

“’Copters got the car in sight; 57th and Flagler. One male driver” he declared. Taeyong nodded.

“Tell them to use the pulse, I'll meet them there” he replied before he looked over at the woman and narrowed his eyes.

“Ma'am, don't leave town” he ordered before he turned and headed off towards his Lamborghini.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, a helicopter was flying above the bright yellow convertible as it drove down a suburban street. Once it was directly above the car, the pilot pressed a button on his controller, sending a pulse down to the yellow convertible, causing it to fry the inside of the car and make it stop in the middle of the street. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, an officer walked the driver of the yellow convertible into the crime lab, only to be stopped by Taeyong, who walked in front of them.

“That’s far enough, gentlemen” he growled before he glared at the driver.

“Where's Darius, Ken?” he demanded. The driver, Ken, shook his head.

“I don't know” he replied.

“Who brought the plane down, you or him?” Taeyong growled.

“I didn't want any part of this. I was supposed to stand trial in a fraud case down here. I'm strictly white collar” Ken replied. Taeyong hummed before he looked down at Ken’s arm and noticed a rather bad burn.

“So it was you; that’s a gas burn on your arm” he growled.

“Darius said he'd let me go” Ken explained.

“As soon as you got to Opa-Locka” Taeyong inferred. Ken sighed.

“Timed it wrong. We fell short” he explained. Taeyong then looked down at Ken’s clothes and narrowed his eyes.

“I notice that blood on your pants, Ken. What's that from?” he inquired.

“The plane crash” Ken lied. Taeyong looked up at him and snarled.

“No, it's not. What did you guys do?” he demanded. Ken shook his head.

“I didn't do anything, I ran” he replied.

“Ken…” Taeyong started, eyes beginning to glow red.

“Did Darius just kill someone?” he demanded. Ken looked down and refused to answer. Taeyong snarled.

**“Did he just kill someone? I want a location right now”** he ordered.

“Yadrioria U building, at the edge of campus. Theta Gamma something” Ken replied before he looked at Taeyong.

“You don't understand. Look in that guy's eyes, it's too late” he stated. Taeyong’s red eyes flashed.

 **“For you too”** he growled before he walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong gave out the location to local police officers, the officers immediately headed out to Yadrioria University, heading towards the sorority that Ken had mentioned. The officers then rushed inside, guns drawn, only to stop in horror and shock. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jaehyun arrived on scene and stepped inside the sorority, taking a deep breath to keep from gagging. All around were bodies of young women, with blood smeared all over the walls and furniture turned over everywhere. Taeyong then entered the sorority and slowly walked over to him, standing beside him.

“Looks like the girls tried to fight him off” he croaked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, it does” he agreed. Jaehyun then looked over at him.

“You think a guy like Darius can stop on his own, Taeyong?” he asked. Taeyong was quiet before he looked back at Jaehyun, eyes glowing red.

 **“He's not gonna stop until we make him stop”** he growled. Jaehyun hummed before he sighed and hung his head. Taeyong then reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Thanks” Jaehyun murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	43. Case 7: Felony Flight - Part 4

Down in the lab, Mark, dressed in a lab coat, was studying the shovel head with the blood on it for a moment before he placed the shovel down and picked up a scalpel and a piece of paper, just like how he had done when he worked on Mr. Kim’s car. He then scraped off some of the dried blood into the fold of the paper and took that folded paper and placed it into a small evidence envelope before placing that down and picking up the shovel. He examined the shaft of the shovel, noticing something odd, so he took out a long Q-tip and ran it over the handle of the shovel, placing it back inside of its packaging to test. Once the evidence had been collected, Mark tested both the handle and the blood and found that the blood belonged to Lydia, like he predicted, but the residue that he found on the handle did not match Darius’s skin type. When he saw those results, he immediately took them to Taeyong.

“So the blood on the shovel matches Lydia Johnson” he stated. Taeyong nodded as he read over Mark’s results.

“Yes, but Darius did not bury Lydia” he replied. Mark shook his head.

“Then how'd he get specific information? Did he have a partner, did he hear it through the prison grapevine?” he exclaimed, starting to get frustrated.

“It’s not his MO. How about the soil on the shovel, did it help?” Taeyong asked, keeping his voice calm so that he could try to calm his detective down.

“Depends how you look at it…it's marl soil” Mark replied, taking a deep breath. Taeyong hummed.

“Marl soil, calcium from the summer wet season” he mused. Mark nodded.

“Right, means she was buried in low-lying land in Akury County. Still, it's a large area” he grumbled. 

“Okay, stay on it, Mark, stay on it” he instructed. Mark nodded before he turned and walked away, lab coat fluttering behind him.

~*~*~*~*~

At the sorority, Taeil was kneeling next to one of the bodies of the young women, angrily putting on gloves while Doyoung walked around with a flashlight.

“Young girls just hanging out watching soaps, not expecting to have to confront a killer” he growled. Doyoung shook his head.

“No one ever does, Taeil” he replied before he headed into the kitchen. Taeil shook his head as he reached out and gently stroked one of the girl’s hair.

“Life and death at 18. Shame” he murmured before he began to gently examine the body. Meanwhile, as Doyoung was walking around the living room area, he noticed that there were some blood droplets on the floor that didn’t match up to the blood in the rest of the house.

“These blood stains seem out of place” he murmured before he quickly began to follow the trail, making Taeil look up.

“Doyoung? Where you going?” he asked. Doyoung didn’t say anything as he followed the blood trail into the kitchenette and over to a cabinet. He then placed his flashlight on the countertop before he opened the cabinet doors, only to find a girl hiding in there, clutching at her stomach.

“Taeil, we got a live one!” he called out. Taeil immediately shot to his feet and rushed into the kitchenette, helping Doyoung carefully remove the girl from her hiding place.

“You're okay, you're gonna be okay. You're safe” Doyoung soothed as Taeil gently placed her on the floor and began examining her.

“Call it in” he ordered. Doyoung nodded and pulled out his walkie-talkie, pressing a button.

“Rescue to 1818 Mirabella Street” he barked into the walkie-talkie before he put it away and looked down at the girl as she tried to speak to the doctor and detective.

“He…he…” she panted.

“She’s going into shock” Taeil declared.

“It's okay, you're gonna be okay” Doyoung soothed, reaching out and gently rubbing the girl’s leg.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong was standing before James with his hands on his hips while James’ son Adam was sitting in one of their conference rooms.

“Mr. Johnson, I'd like to talk to your son about the day your wife disappeared” he stated. James glared at him.

“We've been through this. He didn't see anything” he grumbled. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“I understand that, but if it would be okay, I'd like to determine that for myself” he replied.

“What, a year later?” James sneered. Taeyong sighed.

“You see, Mr. Johnson, sometimes with a trauma like this, it can take some time for it to dissipate” he explained.

“I'm telling you, he didn't see anything” James snapped. When Taeyong just gave him a look, he sighed.

“Alright fine, let’s go” he ordered, turning to head inside. Taeyong shook his head.

“I meant alone” he called out, making James turn and look at him.

“If that would be okay” he continued. James was quiet before he nodded.

“Yeah” he agreed. Taeyong nodded before he turned and headed inside the conference room, smiling at Adam as the little boy looked up at him. He then walked over to Adam and stood before him.

“Hi” he greeted, smiling slightly. Adam looked up at him and returned his small smile.

“Hi” he replied. Taeyong then held out his hand.

“I’m Lieutenant Lee Taeyong. But you can call me Taeyong” he introduced. Adam shook his hand.

“I’m Adam” he replied before he looked at the badge on Taeyong’s belt.

“That looks just like my badge” he stated, pulling a little plastic badge out of his pocket. Taeyong raised an eyebrow, smiling as he sat down before the boy, taking off his badge.

“Here, you can look at mine, I don’t mind” he replied softly. Adam’s eyes widened and he eagerly clutched at Taeyong’s badge, comparing it to his little one.

“It’s so much bigger than mine” he murmured. Taeyong nodded with a smile.

“That’s exactly right, Adam” he praised. Adam then tested the weight of the badge in his hand.

“I like the way it feels” he declared. Taeyong smiled again before he leaned in a little.

“Now, Adam, tell me what's special about the gold shield” he instructed. Adam was quiet as he looked at the badge before he looked up at Taeyong.

“It has an eagle on top of it?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“It does. You see, now, you have a good eye” he praised. Adam raised an eyebrow.

“I do?” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“You do” he assured before he took a deep breath.

“Adam, what I want to do is going to be hard, but I want to ask you a few questions about the day your mom disappeared” he explained. He then reached out and placed a gentle hand on Adam’s knee.

“Could you help me with that?” he asked. Adam nodded, making him smile slightly.

“Okay, good. Now, your mom…your mom drove you to soccer practice, and then what happened?” he inquired. Adam was quiet, thinking about what happened.

“I saw a guy in the front seat close to my mom…whispering” he replied after a while. Taeyong frowned.

“He was in the front seat? Adam, I…I thought you were in the front seat” he stated. Adam shook his head.

“No. Mom never let me sit in the front. Air bags” he explained. Taeyong nodded slowly, thinking it over.

“Airbags. Okay, and he…he was whispering. How could you tell Adam?” he asked. 

“Because I couldn't hear them” Adam replied before he frowned.

“Wait. He turned the music up crazy loud” he corrected before he sighed heavily.

“I should have protected her. I didn't do anything to stop it” he murmured. Taeyong smiled sadly at him before he reached out and put a hand on his knee.

“Adam, sometimes the smartest thing to do is to do nothing. Now, what else do you remember about him?” he asked.

“Hair. He had long hair, down his back. He tied it, with a rubber band” Adam answered.

“Okay, you mean…you mean like a ponytail?” Taeyong asked. Adam nodded in reply.

“Like a ponytail” Taeyong murmured before he smiled.

“Adam, that is perfect” he stated, just as a young woman walked into the conference room. He glanced over at her before turning back to Adam.

“Now, this lady is our sketch artist. She's gonna help you remember what his face looks like, all right?” he asked. Adam nodded, handing the Deathless his badge back.

“Here you go” he offered. Taeyong smiled and took his badge, clipping it back to his belt before he waved his hand and summoned a small pin that looked exactly like his shield, only smaller.

“Here. I think this is much better than the plastic one that you have” he murmured. Adam’s eyes lit up as he took the pin and stared at it.

“Thank you” he thanked. Taeyong nodded, smiling a little wider.

“Anytime” he replied as he walked out of the conference, heading over to where Donghyuck was waiting for him.

“We need to go back to Lydia Johnson's van and have another look” he declared. 

“Have another look at what?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The killer was in the front seat. He may have touched something” Taeyong stated softly. Donghyuck nodded.

“Alright” he replied before he turned and headed out of the lab, calling Jaehyun and asking him to accompany him to the police impound, where they kept old cars from cases.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hope you're not allergic to dust” Jaehyun stated as he walked over to the gate and unlocked it, pushing open the gate so that Donghyuck could follow him over to where a very dusty mini-van was located.

“This is Lydia Johnson's mini-van” he declared. Donghyuck nodded and began to look around the car, opening the passenger’s side of the car. As he looked at the dashboard, which was covered in blood splatter, he shook his head.

“Can’t print these” he declared before he looked over his shoulder at Jaehyun.

“Do you have the keys?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded and pulled out a set of keys, handing it to Donghyuck, who nodded.

“Thanks” he thanked as he put the key into the ignition and turned it on. Soon the radio began to play, making him frown.

“Johnson’s kid said the music was crazy loud, right?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, but not on that station. That's housewife music” he answered. Donghyuck hummed when he noticed that something was in the car’s CD player. He then reached out and pressed the eject button, the music stopping as the disc slid out. He then took it and stared at it, shining his flashlight over it.

“Homemade CD and a homemade label” he deduced, before he stepped back and held it up for Jaehyun to look at.

“The wife's?” he asked. Donghyuck stared at the CD a little harder and shook his head.

“No, I don't think so. Guy's picture's on it, his address, too” he replied. Jaehyun looked over Donghyuck’s shoulder at the address and hummed.

“Stresa” he read aloud. Donghyuck looked over at him and smirked.

“Let's go” he ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	44. Case 7: Felony Flight - Part 5

When Donghyuck and Jaehyun arrived in Stresa, they followed the address on the CD to a small studio where a man with his hair tied in a ponytail was sitting in a chair, tuning a guitar.

“You the, uh, lead singer or just a solo act?” Jaehyun asked as he and Donghyuck walked over to him. The man looked up at them and frowned.

“Yadrioria CSI. We found a homemade copy of your CD in a murder victim's vehicle” Donghyuck explained. The man stopped tuning and shook his head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” he stated.

“I suppose you don't know Lydia Johnson, either” Donghyuck sneered.

“Who?” the man asked.

“The wife of the owner of Yadrioria’s largest media conglomerate, James Johnson. Has an eight-year-old son who saw somebody kill his mom right in front of him” Jaehyun snapped. The man went quiet before he shook his head.

“I didn't kill anybody, all right? I'm no hater” he assured.

“Fine. What was your CD doing inside their minivan?” Donghyuck inquired.

“Why don't you ask Mr. Johnson about the CD? I jumped in his car that morning. I told him to take a listen” the man replied. Donghyuck and Jaehyun looked at one another before they turned and headed out of the studio, Jaehyun giving Taeyong a call to explain what the man had told them.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong had Mr. Johnson sit down in one of their interrogation rooms and asked him about the CD.

“I don't see what the big deal is” James grumbled. Taeyong growled.

“On the day that your wife disappears, a kid that you don't know forces his way into your car and makes you listen to his song. You don't think that's a big deal?” he asked. 

“You think that's the first kid to pull a Rupert Pumpkin on me?” James replied, shaking his head.

“A thousand of those Eminem wannabes a month. Just gave him my card to get rid of him” he explained. Taeyong frowned at him.

“You should have locked your doors, James” he scolded.

“Well, I would've if I could've found the auto lock. It's my wife's car. We swapped that morning” James explained. Taeyong was quiet for a moment before he glared at James.

“You and your wife swapped cars on the day she disappeared, and you didn't think it was important to tell the police” he snarled. James shrugged.

“I didn't think it was important” he replied, making Taeyong nodded in reply before he looked away from him. James then crossed his arms.

“You think this guy has something to do with Lydia's disappearance?” he asked. Taeyong huffed before he looked back at him and gave him a look.

“I mean, how could I possibly know? I mean, I'm getting this information a year later” he exclaimed. James rolled his eyes before he stood up and reached into his pocket, pulling out his business card.

“When you find out more, give me a call” he instructed. Taeyong looked at the card before he looked into James’ eyes.

“I have your card, James. But thank you” he replied. James huffed before he turned and walked out of the interrogation room, just as Jaehyun walked in, hearing everything from where he was standing just outside.

“Let's go back into his financial records, please” Taeyong instructed as Jaehyun walked over to him. 

“Did. A year ago” Jaehyun stated.

“Let's do it again” Taeyong ordered, looking into Jaehyun’s eyes. Jaehyun nodded.

“Alright” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

In the ambulance that was screaming down the road, Doyoung was sitting on the side of the young woman that he and Taeil had saved as she was lying in a gurney. Taeil had gone back to the crime lab, just in case something happened later on and they needed him.

“Kimberly, the man who broke into your sorority house, did he look like this? His name is Henry Darius” Doyoung stated softly, holding up a picture of Darius to her. Kimberly, the injured girl, nodded.

“Yes” she croaked.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Doyoung asked, voice gentle.

“Um, I missed the tournament bus. When I walked into the house, and, um there was blood everywhere. The girls were still on the floor, and Katie was still moaning. I tiptoed right past his back” Kimberly explained weakly. 

“You did good to hide in the laundry room” Doyoung praised. Kimberly nodded as Doyoung cleared his throat.

“Did he say anything? Did he talk to anyone?” he asked.

“Uh _"Where's Alexa? Where is she?"_ ” Kimberly replied.

“Who’s Alexa?” Doyoung asked.

“Alexa Endecott. Third year sister. He kept asking where she was” Kimberly replied.

“Is she in Fort Lauderdale with the others?” Doyoung inquired. Kimberly shook her head.

“No. I know she was ditching the tournament, but I can't remember what for” she replied. Doyoung nodded before he leaned in slightly.

“Okay, Kimberly, I need you to think. I need you to remember where she is” he instructed. Kimberly shut her eyes and thought hard for a moment before she looked over at Doyoung.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong was standing in the lobby, waiting for someone, when his phone rang.

“Lee” he answered.

_“Coco Riding Club. She went around 11:00 a.m. this morning”_ Doyoung stated, relaying the information that Kimberly told him.

“I know where that is, Doyoung. Thank you” Taeyong thanked, just as a tall young man with light skin, wine red hair, and brown eyes carrying a carry-on on one shoulder and a portfolio in another walked into the lab.

“Lieutenant Lee” the man called out as he walked over to Taeyong, making him turn as he hung up the call.

“Lieutenant Seo” he greeted with a smile as he and the man, Johnny Seo, shook hands.

“Could've used a tailwind” Johnny stated. Taeyong just shook his head.

“No worries” he replied.

“Heard Darius had already hit a sorority house” Johnny mused. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, Yadrioria University. He's looking for somebody specific, Johnny” he replied. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“Have a name?” he asked. 

“Alexa Endecott, 21. No longer using her cell phone” Taeyong replied.

“We know where she is?” Johnny asked.

“We do. The bad news, Johnny, so does he” Taeyong declared before he motioned with his head for Johnny to follow him into the crime lab.

“Come on” he instructed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> Also, we've introduced a new character: Johnny!


	45. Case 7: Felony Flight - Part 6

After Johnny had gotten settled in, he, Taeyong, and a couple other police officers headed out to the riding club where Alexa was supposed to be. When they arrived at the riding club, the owner of the club stormed up to them, hands on his hips.

“Please explain why I just had six police officers barge onto club property” he demanded.

“It's called a murder investigation” Taeyong replied calmly as he and Johnny looked at the owner.

“You're kidding, right?” the owner, Matthew Smythe, exclaimed.

“He's a fugitive from Lecleusia. He's on a killing spree in Yadrioria” Johnny deadpanned.

“He's targeting Alexa. Is she here?” Taeyong asked. 

“Uh, she was jumping steeples earlier, down that way” Matthew replied, motioning over to where the jockeys were playing polo. Taeyong and Johnny nodded.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked before he and Johnny walked onto the polo field, heading towards the jumping area when a black horse came whinnying out of the gate, making Johnny and Taeyong walk over to it. Johnny then stepped forward, holding up a gentle hand.

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa” he soothed as he grabbed the reigns and held it tightly before stroking the horse’s face.

“It’s a little spooked” he declared. As he was looking it over, he noticed a little gold tag inscribed with _“A.E.”_. 

“A.E” he read aloud.

“Alexa Endecott. Take a look at this, Johnny” Taeyong instructed, motioning to the saddle, which had a smear of blood on it.

“Blood” Johnny murmured. Taeyong nodded.

“Still wet, too. That blood is Alexa's” he declared, just as an officer walked over to them.

“Lieutenant” he called out, making Johnny and Taeyong turn.

“Yeah” Taeyong replied.

“We found something” the officer stated. Taeyong and Johnny looked at one another before they followed the police officer to wherever he was going to lead them.

~*~*~*~*~

“He's security for the club” the police officer stated as he led Taeyong and Johnny over to a man in a security uniform on the ground, clutching at his neck tightly to try and staunch the blood while another uniform was holding his arm to keep him balanced.

“Sir, you okay? What happened?” Johnny asked, squatting before the man.

“We're looking for Alexa” Taeyong added.

“Guy took my car” the security guard choked.

“Okay” Taeyong murmured before he noticed that the security guard’s holster was empty.

“Where's your gun?” he inquired.

“He-he took it” the security guard croaked. Taeyong hummed before he turned away.

“Johnny” he called out as he pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number.

“Yeah, I've got a police emergency. Connect me to the security car assigned to the Coco Riding Club” he ordered.

“Based on past behavior, he'll ditch the car first chance he gets. We don't have much time” Johnny murmured, just as Taeyong held up a hand.

“Yeah” he answered.

_“_ _We're connecting you right now”_ the voice on the phone declared. Taeyong then pulled it away from his ear before holding it out to Johnny.

“Nobody knows him better than you do, Johnny” he stated softly, putting the call on speaker.

_“_ _Security”_ Darius’s voice answered.

“Henry Darius?” Johnny inquired.

_“_ _Lieutenant Seo, all the way from Lecleusia City. Hey, those nurses' apartment, did you ever get the blood out of the carpet?”_ Darius replied, a slight smile in his voice. Taeyong’s eyes widened slightly while Johnny just shut his eyes for a moment before opening them.

“I'm here with Lieutenant Lee Taeyong, Yadrioria PD” he stated.

_“_ _You had to call for backup. I'm flattered”_ Darius sneered.

“Darius, I want to speak to Alexa right now” Taeyong ordered.

_“_ _She can't talk right now”_ Darius replied.

“I've got roadblocks, and all of Yadrioria is looking for you, my friend” Taeyong growled.

_“_ _Well, I would expect no less”_ Darius stated.

“Car has GPS, we'll find you” Johnny promised.

_“_ _You will find me when I want you to find me_ ” Darius declared before the line went dead. Johnny then looked over at Taeyong and raised an eyebrow.

“Alexa, the Endecotts?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“The Endecotts, sugar cane and railways” he replied. Johnny huffed.

“Philanthropy in every big city in Escax. He picked very rich girl” he mused.

“Lieutenant” a police officer called out, making Taeyong and Johnny look over at him.

“GPS kicked out the vehicle” the police officer stated. Taeyong and Johnny looked at one another before they nodded and quickly headed back to Taeyong’s Lamborghini.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong drove himself and Johnny to the location of where the car was dumped and then got out of the car, walking over to the officer that was standing by the car.

“Officer. Did you touch anything else?” Taeyong called out. The officer turned and shook his head.

“No. Just popped the trunk, sir. Car's empty” he stated. 

“We’re gonna have a look” Taeyong declared.

“Sure thing” the officer agreed before he turned and walked away, leaving Johnny and Taeyong with the car. Johnny then walked to the driver’s side of the car and looked inside.

“Darius disabled the radio, but not the video camera” he declared as he looked at the camera that was hanging above the passenger side seat.

“It's a projected image, no tape inside” he stated.

“I'll call the security company, see what they have” Taeyong offered. Johnny nodded when he noticed something wedged between the back and bottom part of the driver’s seat.

“Something else” he called out as he summoned a glove and put it on.

“Did you get something?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow. Johnny then reached into the part between the back and bottom, pulling out a scrap of paper with writing on it.

_“_ _6601-C6”_ he read aloud, pausing for a moment to think the numbers and letter over before he looked over at Taeyong.

“Sounds like it could be map coordinates…but it’s not like him to telegraph where he’s going” he grumbled. Taeyong was quiet before it hit him.

“Maybe it's where he's been” he declared.

“Burial site for your Lydia Johnson” Johnny deduced. Taeyong nodded.

“That's what I'm thinking” he agreed.

“Why don't I get that security video?” Johnny offered. 

“Take one of my officers if you need one” Taeyong replied before he pulled his phone out of his pocket while Johnny walked away, still holding the coordinates in his hand.

“Yeah, Donghyuck. Run some coordinates, please. 6601-C6” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Yuta and Donghyuck were in Yuta’s lab as Yuta typed in the coordinates Taeyong ordered them to run.

_“_ _Talk to me”_ Taeyong ordered.

“Looks like a Yadrioria street guide. Page definitely corresponds to a location in Akury County” Yuta replied.

“Yeah, factoring in the soil evidence from the shovel, he's pointing us to a wetlands area in Homestead” Donghyuck added.

_“_ _Alright, I’ll meet you there”_ Taeyong declared before he hung up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	46. Case 7: Felony Flight - TO BE CONTINUED

“Underground scanning. What branch of the military did we get this from?” Donghyuck asked, glancing over at Taeyong.

“Technology's not perfected, but it'll get us there” Taeyong replied.

“What are they listening for?” Donghyuck inquired.

“Lydia Johnson's Rolex is a fake” Taeyong explained. Donghyuck hummed.

“Meaning it ticks instead of sweeps” he mused before he huffed, a small smile on his face.

“Good thing her husband was cheap” he stated.

“Let's just hope the battery holds up” Taeyong murmured, just as one of the officers held up a hand.

“He found something” Donghyuck declared.

“Good” Taeyong agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeil was called to the scene, after the CSU officers had dug up most of the dirt. He then took a brush and brushed away the dirt that was covering Lydia’s watch and once he found it, he paused for a moment before he let out a breath and dug a little, pulling up an arm. He stared at it and took a deep breath before he stared to paw at the dirt, discovering a shoe. He continued to paw at the dirt until he discovered a leg, then a torso until finally he uncovered a woman’s dirt covered face.

“Jesus…” he whispered to himself, taking a deep breath before he quickly uncovered the rest of the body and placed it onto a clean body bag. Taeyong then walked over to him, Donghyuck following behind him.

“Taeil?” he called out, making him look over at them.

“The clothes and the jewelry are a match to Lydia Johnson” Taeyong continued.

“I'll take dental records to be sure” Taeil replied.

“The family has waited a year” Taeyong reminded. Taeil nodded.

“I’m on it” he assured before he turned and patted down Lydia’s pants when he discovered something in her right pants pocket.

“Taeyong: a business card” he stated, holding up the card for Taeyong to see. Taeyong stared at it and realized that it looked exactly like the card that James Johnson tried to give him earlier in the crime lab.

“That’s the husband's business card” he declared.

“Maybe Lydia's pointing us to her killer” Donghyuck suggested. Taeyong hummed.

“Maybe” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

“James, we found your business card on your wife's body” Taeyong stated as he stood before the man back in the crime lab’s interrogation room.

“This is my wife—” James started before he paused, choked up.

“Was. I'm just glad you found her” he stated.

“Yeah, I bet you are” Taeyong replied rather callously. James narrowed his eyes.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he demanded.

“You took out a $5 million life insurance policy on your wife. The way the policy is designed, you don't get a penny until you produce her body. You also called the department every week for a year, James” Taeyong growled. James shook his head.

“Family fiscal planning. Nothing more. Took the policy out the week our son was born” he explained.

“Need I remind you that I found your business card on your dead wife's body? Folded in half” Taeyong snapped, sliding the photo of the card over to James.

“That's how I hand them out. Must have given it to somebody who gave it to her” James replied.

“To who? Who would that be?” Taeyong demanded, just as Donghyuck walked into the interrogation room.

“I told you, I meet hundreds of people a week, it could be anyone” James snapped.

“ID'd the print on the card” Donghyuck stated, handing over the results to Taeyong. Taeyong took them gratefully and looked them over.

“Thank you Donghyuck” he thanked. Donghyuck nodded and turned on his heels, walking out of the room, as Taeyong continued to look over the results.

“Well, James sit tight. It’s about to get interesting” he declared before he turned and walked out of the interrogation room and into another interrogation room, where their suspect from the CD was sitting.

“Brian, right now I have enough to charge you with murder” he stated. The man, Brian Miller, shook his head.

“I did not kill that lady, man” he assured. 

“Then how do you explain to me how your fingerprint on that business card in Lydia's grave?” Taeyong asked, placing down the photo of James’ business card with Brian’s fingerprint on it in front of him. Brian stared at it before he let out a sigh.

“My God, I-I I don't know how this got so screwed up” he whimpered.

“You want some help with it?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I followed Mr. Johnson for weeks. And I had his car information, his schedule, everything about him” Brian explained.

“And then he refused to help you with your music?” Taeyong inferred. Brian nodded.

“He treated me like I was a no-talent. So I went to Plan B” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“What was "Plan B", Brian?” he asked.

“I hired someone to scare him. Scare him. I gave him his card, his address, I told him to get him after lunch. He had the same schedule every day, Johnson had” Brian explained.

“Except for the day that he swapped cars with his wife” Taeyong stated.

“That moron told me _"The wife's just as good as the husband"_ ” Brian spat before he shook his head.

“You know, scare her to scare him. Only he tells me, he accidentally shot her. _"Accidentally"_ ” he grumbled.

“And all this time, Brian, you told no one?” Taeyong growled.

“I was afraid. I know about felony murder, it's like I killed her myself, right?” Brian replied. Taeyong nodded.

“That’s right, my friend, you do know the law” he stated before he placed a file down before Brian.

“Brian, is that the man that you hired? His name is Henry Darius” he stated. Brian looked at Darius’s photo before he shook his head.

“No” he replied.

“Who did you hire then?” Taeyong demanded.

“I only knew him as _"Rosie."_ I have his Internet address, but it was canceled the day she disappeared” Brian explained.

“That should have been the tip off for you, my friend” Taeyong growled before he looked at the officer standing behind Brian.

“Hook his up, please” he ordered. He then walked out of the interrogation room and over to Jaehyun, who was waiting for him.

“Jaehyun. Darius?” he asked.

“Johnny’s chasing down video from the security car” Jaehyun replied.

“Okay, you hear anything, you let me know” Taeyong ordered. Jaehyun nodded before he looked over at Brian.

“How's that loser fit in?” he asked.

“That loser hired somebody named Rosie who probably knows Darius” Taeyong replied.

“How?” Jaehyun asked. Taeyong sighed and shook his head.

“That is a good question” he replied before he looked into the man’s eyes.

“You need me, I'll be with Lydia Johnson, all right?” he stated. Jaehyun nodded.

“Alright” he agreed, reaching out and giving Taeyong a gentle squeeze on the arm. Taeyong smiled slightly before he headed off in the direction of the morgue.

~*~*~*~*~

When Taeyong walked into the morgue, he walked over to where Taeil was standing next to Lydia’s body.

“Well Taeil?” he asked.

“The body's intact. Held together by her clothing. They're a mess, but I did notice one thing” Taeil stated as he held up Lydia’s sweater, motioning to a hole in it.

“She was shot” Taeyong breathed. Taeil nodded.

“Hole in the clothes on the side of the blouse, and her waist” he stated as he grabbed the bullet recovered from Lydia’s body and showed it to Taeyong.

“Projectile recovered from her scapula” he declared. Taeyong frowned.

“That's an odd angle, Taeil” he mused. 

“Right to left. Front to back” Taeil explained.

“Could it have been an accident?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeil shook his head as he pointed to the wound in Lydia’s head.

“Not this one. Right in the temple” he stated. 

“Right in the temple; that's an execution” Taeyong declared. Taeil nodded as he gave Taeyong a look. 

“And you know how much head shots bleed” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Right, so that explains the blood spatter in the van, doesn't it?” he asked.

“Now it makes sense why everyone bought Darius's story. Just by the volume of blood, fits his MO” Taeil deduced.

“But it wasn't Darius. It was this Rosie guy who killed her and left the shovel in the grave” Taeyong growled.

“Taeyong” Taeil started, his tone startling Taeyong into looking over at him.

“I hope you've got a lead on the real killer” he growled. Taeyong said nothing before he turned and walked out of the morgue, heading back upstairs. He then saw Adam sitting down on one of the benches outside of the labs and he smiled slightly.

“There he is” he greeted as he sat down next to him.

“Thanks for finding my mom” Adam thanked.

“Well, I did it with your help, Adam” Taeyong replied with a smile.

“Did you find the ponytail man?” Adam asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong shook his head.

“I haven't found him yet, but I will. And I'll tell you what I'm going to do. As soon as I find him, I'm going to call you first. Alright?” he asked. Adam looked at him for a moment before he nodded.

“So we got a deal?” Taeyong asked. Adam nodded again, making Taeyong smile.

“Okay. We’ve got a deal” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the computer lab, Johnny was sitting next to Doyoung and Mark, watching the security camera tape. As they were watching, the phone rang, making Doyoung pick it up.

“He switched cars. Killed the driver to get the car. Rescue's out and rolling. Jaehyun’s running the plates as we speak” Doyoung stated as he hung up the phone. Johnny continued to watch the video when he noticed something, so he narrowed his eyes before he looked over at Mark.

“Stop the video” he ordered. Mark nodded and clicked a key, pausing the video.

“Rewind that, please” Johnny ordered. Mark nodded again and rewound the video back a few seconds.

“I saw his lips move. He said something” Johnny explained. Doyoung frowned.

“What did he say?” he asked. Mark shook his head.

“I don’t know, but I can figure it out” he replied as he clicked on a few keys and enlarged the video to show Darius and Alexa’s faces.

_“_ _Happy Birthday”_ Johnny murmured as he read Darius’s lips.

“How did he know that?” Doyoung asked while Mark continued to stare at the computer screen.

“He's wearing a black Entek cap” he stated. Johnny hummed.

“If he took it with him, he could wear it for disguise” he mused.

“I’m going to let Yadrioria P.D. know” Doyoung stated as he took the phone off the hook while Mark looked over at Johnny.

“You know, this road intersects with I-95” he stated.

“It was over four hours ago; he could be anywhere by now” Johnny grumbled.

“How far do you think he got?” Mark asked.

“I may have the answer to that. Alexa just left a message on our home machine” Taeyong stated as he walked into the computer lab, holding out his phone with a recording on it.

“Well, play it” Johnny instructed. Taeyong nodded as he pressed the button and set the phone down.

_“_ _Anyone, it's Alexa, I've been taken by some guy. He's got, uh, brown hair…I got to go before he comes. I'm shutting my phone off”_ Alexa stated before the message cut off. Taeyong frowned.

“Wait a second, play that again. There was a sound after she said _"guy"_ ” he stated.

“Sounds like a horn” Johnny mused. Doyoung nodded as he dragged the message back and pressed play once more.

_“_ _I’ve been taken by some guy—”_ Alexa started again and this time, the four men did hear a soft horn sound in the background. Doyoung stopped the message before dragging it back and playing it again before stopping it once more.

“If I've heard that sound once, I've heard it a thousand times. Taeyong, you worked Newmoor. Sounds and arrivals and departures in and out of the city” Johnny stated, looking at Taeyong as he looked down at the phone.

“That's the Bellême Ferry. They're already in Lecleusia” he breathed. Johnny nodded.

“Question is how'd they get there so fast?” he asked. Taeyong growled as his eyes flashed red.

“I think I have an idea” he growled.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Opa-Locka airport, the young woman that Taeyong and Jaehyun spoke to earlier was placing her bag in her car when Taeyong and Johnny walked over to her.

“Ms. Nivens? Turn around, please, Ma'am” Taeyong called out. The woman, Ms. Nivens, stopped and turned around.

“What?” she snapped.

“You have a G-4 don't you?” Taeyong asked.

“Why?” Ms. Nivens demanded.

“That’s the plane that Darius just flew away on” Taeyong stated.

“Yes. And he left me here because of you” Ms. Nivens spat.

“You let him take your private plane to Lecleusia?” Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow.

“With a younger woman, if that doesn't that beat all” Ms. Nivens grumbled.

“That younger woman is a hostage” Taeyong growled, glaring at Ms. Nivens, who at least had enough dignity to look shocked and surprised.

“Why Lecleusia?” Johnny demanded.

“I don't know. He said he had some kind of business there” Ms. Nivens replied, shaking her head.

“What kind of business?” Taeyong demanded.

“He told me he was going to Lecleusia City to make things right” Ms. Nivens stated. Johnny and Taeyong looked at one another before they both sighed. They had their work cut out for them.

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	47. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 1

It was a wet and rainy day in Lecleusia as a group of teenagers, sat in a lavish living room with a large glass bowl filled with pills on the coffee table before them. Every now and then, one of the teens would reach into the bowl and grab a pill, popping it before downing it with a sip of alcohol.

“Could I die from this?” one of the boys asked.

“That's the fun” one of the girls replied. While they were enjoying their little party, Darius and Alexa arrived in the elevator, Darius basically shoving Alexa forward.

“So what's it like to grow up with all this money?” he asked as he shoved her towards the door that led to the apartment.

“What are you gonna do to me?” Alexa demanded. Darius just smirked.

“Oh, first things first” he replied as he covered the gun that he had pointed at Alexa’s back with a silk handkerchief. As Alexa unlocked the door, she looked back at Darius and he nodded at her.

“Go” he whispered. Alexa nodded and pushed open the door, stepping inside the apartment, only to hear the voices of the other teenagers.

“You said nobody'd be home” Darius hissed.

“Nobody's supposed to be here” Alexa whimpered.

“You trying to set me up?” Darius growled.

“No, no really—” Alexa started when one of the blonde female teenagers walked out of the living room and looked over to the door, smiling drunkenly at Alexa and Darius.

“Hey, look who's here. Hey, everybody, it's Alexa” she called out. The other teens also drunkenly called out in greeting while the blonde girl smiled.

“I thought you were in Yadrioria” she stated.

“Um…where’s my sister?” Alexa asked as Darius nudged her forward with the gun.

“I am so high. Sorry” the drunk/high girl apologized. As Darius and Alexa walked forward, the other drunk and high teens waved at her before Darius looked over at her.

“Alexa, you promised to show me your bedroom” he stated before he smiled over at the drunk girl.

“Will you excuse us?” he asked.

“Make all the noise you want” the drunk girl replied as she walked over to the radio and cranked it up. Darius and Alexa then walked upstairs; the gun pressed firmly to her back. Alexa then walked over to the bookshelf and pulled it open, revealing a large safe.

“Open it” Darius ordered. When Alexa didn’t move, Darius growled.

“I didn't fly you a thousand miles for nothing. Give me your hand” he ordered, grabbing Alexa’s wrist, pressing her palm to the scanner on the safe. The scanner read and accepted Alexa’s handprint, allowing Darius to open the safe, only to find it empty. He then took a step back, shaking his head.

“Double-crossed me?” he snarled. Alexa’s eyes widened and she turned to face him.

“No, I didn't—” she started but Darius just lifted the gun and pulled the trigger.

~*~*~*~*~

Downstairs, the teens were still popping pills and drinking. When one of the teens went to grab a pill and pop it in another teen’s mouth, the girl frowned and stopped him.

“Oh, my God, Dalton. You're bleeding” she stated, pointing to the young man’s left cheek. The young man, Dalton, reached up and touched his cheek, wiping off the blood, looking at it as it smeared over his hair.

“It's not mine” he replied. Just then, the teens all turned when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and walking towards them, so one of the girls stood up and looked over to see Darius standing before them.

“Where's Alexa?” she demanded. Darius then raised his hand, which was covered in blood, making all of the teens gasp in shock.

“Oh my God” one of the girls gasped.

“I want everybody to get on the ground face down, hands behind your back” Darius instructed, calm and collected. When the teens didn’t move, Darius growled.

“Now” he snarled. All the teens quickly got up and moved to the floor, placing their hands behind their back, save for the one girl that was staring down Darius. 

“You do what I say, I won't hurt you. I promise” Darius assured. The girl then followed the rest of her friends and got down on the floor, placing her hands behind her back. Once they were all on the ground, Darius cocked the hammer back on the gun, making a few of the girls scream.

“You said you weren't gonna hurt us!” one girl exclaimed. Darius said nothing before he fired round after round into each teens head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	48. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 2

A little while later, Johnny, Jaehyun, Taeyong, Chittaphon “Ten” Leechaiyapornkul, Johnny’s partner, and CSI Huang “Lucas” Xu Xi, walked into the apartment and over the bodies, Ten shaking his head.

“How did this happen? There were security guards at every one of the Endecotts' Newmoor properties” he snarled.

“He's got to be here somewhere” Taeyong murmured.

“We sure this is Darius?” Lucas asked.

“Take a good look at the position of these kids. Look familiar?” Johnny asked. Jaehyun and Taeyong shook their heads while Lucas sighed and nodded.

“Yeah. Those nurses in Midtown. He played in their blood” he murmured as he looked over at the blood covered wall and mirror.

“Any one of these kids Alexa?” Jaehyun asked before he frowned at the sound of dripping water, so he looked over to see a rather large pool of blood on the coffee table. He then looked up to see blood dripping from the light fixture above their heads.

“We need to go upstairs” he declared. Ten, Johnny, Lucas, and Taeyong looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Why?” Ten asked. Jaehyun took a deep, shuddering breath before he sighed.

“Just…trust me” he murmured. The five CSIs then headed upstairs to the room where the safe was and found Alexa’s body on the floor, blood dripping from the wound in her head down to the floor below.

“She never saw it coming” Johnny murmured as he knelt before the body.

“No” Taeyong agreed before he looked at the safe.

“Safe is open and empty” he declared.

“It's a biometric lock” Ten added, looking at the safe as well.

“Explains why he brought her to Lecleusia. Needed her hand, her blood vessels” Johnny deduced.

“Why would he bring Alexa all the way to Lecleusia for money? Thought he got money from the groupie in Yadrioria” Lucas asked, frowning.

“It's not Endecott money. And, as we know, money is only half of it” Taeyong replied.

“Last thing Darius said down in Yadrioria: he was coming to Lecleusia to make things right” Johnny declared.

“Think he has?” Ten asked, looking down at his partner.

 **“Not even close”** Johnny snarled.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong, Jaehyun, Ten, Lucas and Johnny discovered Alexa’s body, Taeyong and Jaehyun went down to assess the rest of the apartment with Lucas while Johnny decided to stay with Alexa’s body in the safe. As he was kneeling by her body, Ten walked over to him and placed his hands on his hips.

“Johnny” he called out.

“Darius’s in the wind” Johnny growled.

“I got a broadcast out, Tri-State area. The M.E.'s office finished bagging the last kid. Alexa's next. We found her younger sister, Sarah. We're pulling her out of school, Hathaway Prep. She's on her way to the crime lab” Ten explained.

“Parents?” Johnny asked, glancing over at him.

“On their way back from Uspein. It's obvious he targeted Alexa for money, but why her? We're not finding evidence of any previous connection between her and Darius” Ten replied. Johnny huffed as he stood to his feet.

“Then we'll work with current connections” he declared before he looked over at the biometric hand scanner.

“I need this lock taken back to the lab” he ordered. Ten nodded.

“I'll get the company out here ASAP” he replied. Johnny then noticed something on the inside of the safe, so he knelt down and removed his flashlight from his pocket, clicking it on before pointing it at a small metal hook.

“Room's been sealed, right?” he asked, looking over at Ten. Ten looked back at him and nodded.

“Yeah, to the man. Why?” he asked. 

“Red fabric. From inside the vault” Johnny explained as he summoned a pair of tweezers and a small evidence bag out of thin air. He then took the tweezers and used them to pluck the small string of red fabric from the metal hook. He then placed the piece into the evidence bag and handed it over to Ten.

“Make sure this gets to Trace” he ordered before he looked down at Alexa’s body.

“I'll stay with the body till the M.E. gets up here” he declared. Ten nodded.

“Alright” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Outside of the apartment, Taeyong and Jaehyun were talking to Lucas about the apartment.

“Guard on duty?” Jaehyun asked. Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, M.E. says that his neck was snapped” he replied before he crossed his arms.

“I’ll run trace on the clothes, see if I can't find a transfer from Darius, I’ll keep you in the loop” he stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded.

“Appreciate it” Taeyong replied.

“I had my lab send up information on the bullet we extracted from Lydia Johnson” he added. Lucas hummed.

“Lydia Johnson, that's the Yadrioria murder that Darius tried to pull off as his own” he stated.

“Yeah, that’s him. A promise of information got him out of prison, but it turns out the bullet is pointing to someone else, someone named Rosie” Taeyong explained.

“Yeah, we got your information on the bullet. Nine millimeter, probably a Glock. I'm running it through local and state databases, as we speak” Lucas replied.

“I'll check its progress” Taeyong declared. Lucas looked between Jaehyun and Taeyong before he looked at Taeyong.

“Are you this hot on every case?” he asked.

“Well, he made a promise to an eight-year-old boy—” Jaehyun started, smiling over at Taeyong, who nodded.

“—and I'm not gonna let him down” he finished.

“Say no more” Lucas assured with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	49. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 3

After Taeyong and Jaehyun left, Lucas headed back inside to see the other members of the team, CSI Xiao “Xiaojun” Dejun, CSI Huang “Hendery” Guanheng, and CSI Kim Jungwoo, looking around in horror at the scene. 

“Got your call. Team's all here” Jungwoo stated. Lucas nodded.

“Great, thanks” he replied.

“We came as soon as we could” Xiaojun added.

“What's with all the pills?” Hendery asked.

“It's a pharm party” Lucas explained. The three CSIs looked at him in confusion.

“What's a pharm party?” Hendery asked.

“Pharmaceuticals. Empty your parents' medicine cabinet, and pop until you drop. Rich kids' idea of fun” Lucas explained as he looked over at the large fishbowl full of pills.

“At first glance, I've got lithium, sertraline, fluoxetine. Most of these drugs don't even get you high” he continued, just as Johnny came downstairs after transport had removed the body.

“Lucas and I are gonna run with this one. Xiaojun, check the service entry area. There's an elevator there. A secondary exit. Jungwoo, bag up these bottles. Get them over to Hendery, he’ll be in Trace” he ordered. Hendery frowned at him.

“Johnny, I’ve worked big crime scenes before. I've got two hands, I'm ready to work” he stated. Johnny looked over at him and gave him a look.

“This is a high-profile case, Hendery. I want you in the lab. I need your full attention” he explained. Hendery nodded and turned, heading outside while Johnny turned to Xiaojun and Jungwoo.

“And, remember, anything we find here can take us to Darius. Be careful, be thorough” he ordered. Xiaojun and Jungwoo nodded as Jungwoo headed over to the pill bowl to start bagging the pills while Xiaojun headed over to the service elevator to see if he could find anything there. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the service elevator, Xiaojun pulled open the lattice gate and ran his flashlight over it, looking for any evidence when he found two lone pieces of fibers caught in the “x” of the lattice. As he pulled them out with a pair of tweezers, Jungwoo walked over to him carrying his kit in one hand and two large evidence bags full of pills in the other.

“Just finished bagging the script bottles. You got something?” he asked, kneeling down before Xiaojun.

“Yeah, multicolored fiber, caught in the elevator gate, so I'm thinking one of these kids tried to escape” Xiaojun replied. Jungwoo shrugged.

“It's possible. Let's get all this over to Hendery” he instructed. Xiaojun nodded as he bagged the fiber evidence.

“Read my mind” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, after Xiaojun and Jungwoo had dropped off their evidence to Hendery, Xiaojun went down to check on him and see what he had discovered.

“What’ve you got?” he asked as he walked over to Hendery. Hendery glanced up at him before he motioned to the monitor that projected whatever he was looking at underneath his microscope.

“Here, take a look. What do you think?” he asked. Xiaojun looked at the monitor and frowned.

“They look almost identical” he mused. Hendery nodded.

“That’s because they are. The one on the left is a fiber from the gate, the one on the right was taken from one of the dead girls' uniforms” he explained. Xiaojun hummed.

“Looks like a match to Hathaway Prep” he mused.

“Yeah, except none of the victims had a tear in their skirt consistent with the fiber on the gate” Hendery stated. Xiaojun nodded slowly.

“So one of the girls got away” he deduced before he looked over at Hendery.

“All right, keep these fibers in play, 'cause we got to find that schoolgirl” he declared, just as Johnny walked into the lab and over to them.

“Ripped uniform? From Hathaway Prep?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Xiaojun looked over at him and nodded.

“Yup. Any suggestions on a lead?” he replied. Johnny was quiet and thought back to what Ten said about pulling Alexa’s younger sister out of Hathaway Prep before he nodded.

“I think I know where to start” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“I can't believe this happened to my sister. Can I see her, please?” Sarah Endecott tearily asked as she sat before Johnny in the interrogation room.

“Ms. Endecott, I think it's best that we wait till your parents are with you” Johnny replied before he tilted his head slightly.

“You know, it never quite made sense to me that your classmates were in your house, but you weren't” he stated.

“No, I told you, I-I had class, so I gave them the key” Sarah explained.

“Ms. Endecott, would you stand up, please?” Johnny asked. Sarah frowned at him.

“Why?” she asked. Johnny gave her a look.

“Sarah” he stated, warning in his tone. Sarah huffed before she stood up and Johnny looked her up and down, noticing that her skirt on the left side was torn.

“How'd you rip your skirt?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Sarah was quiet and sniffled before she looked up at him.

“Okay, I was there. It was a pharm party. But I must have been in the pantry or something when my sister came home, 'cause I never heard her arrive, and I never knew she was even in the house” she explained.

“Why didn't you come forward with this information when my detective picked you up at school?” Johnny asked. Sarah shook her head.

“I don't know. I just didn't want to get in trouble, okay? I'm sorry” she apologized, tears in her eyes. Johnny nodded slowly.

“Okay. Okay. Sit down” he soothed as he gently sat her back down in the chair. He then handed her a box of tissues before crossing his arms.

“Why don't you tell me what you remember?” he suggested. Sarah sniffled again before she let out a sigh.

“Okay, well, whatever I took, I got…I got dry mouth, so I went to the pantry to get some more water and some vodka” she explained as she remembered her friends asking Darius where Alexa was after he had come downstairs from shooting her. She then flinched as she remembered the gun going off before she looked up at Johnny, tears streaming down her face.

“He shot Paige!” she exclaimed before she let out a sob and shook her head.

“And I went back to school. I just tried to pretend it was all a dream” she explained. Johnny sighed before he looked Sarah in the eyes.

“You're lucky to be alive, you know that?” he stated gently. Sarah looked up at him and nodded, sniffling again.

“Yeah” she whimpered.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down in the gun lab, Lucas was standing before a computer, Jaehyun and Taeyong standing before him.

“We got your page” Taeyong stated, making Lucas look up and smirk.

“You're going to like this” he stated. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Oh really?” he asked before he and Jaehyun walked around the table to see what Lucas was looking at on his computer.

“That's a stria match” Jaehyun declared as he and Taeyong stared at two photos of a bullet that had the exact same markings.

“Yeah, and the bullets are lining up like the Rockettes at Christmas” Lucas replied before he typed a few keys on his keyboard.

“Check this out: Albert Grafton, nickname "Big Al," used the same weapon that killed your Lydia Johnson; four months ago” he declared. Taeyong smirked.

“There you have it. Let’s go” he ordered.

“I’ll drive” Lucas declared.

“After you” Jaehyun stated. Lucas nodded and stepped around the desk, Taeyong and Jaehyun following after him to go and find this “Big Al”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	50. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 4

After Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Lucas exited Lucas’s lab, they headed towards the front of the crime lab and towards the street.

“Parking structure's across the street” Lucas explained. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded.

“Sounds good” Jaehyun agreed, just as a man in a suit walked over to them.

“Lee Taeyong?” the man called out. Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Lucas stopped as Taeyong looked over at the man.

“Yeah?” he replied. The man tapped a subpoena onto Taeyong’s arm, smirking.

“You've been served” he stated before he held out a pen and a clipboard. 

“Sign here, please” he ordered. Lucas sighed and shook his head.

“These guys are worse than the paparazzi” he grumbled as Jaehyun handed Taeyong a pen.

“Here” he murmured. Taeyong then signed where he needed to sign before he handed the clipboard back to the man as he was handed his subpoena. Once the man walked away, Lucas looked over at him.

“Listen, I get named on these things all the time. Our union attorney's great, if you want me to give you his number” he offered. Taeyong sighed.

“This is a matter outside the job” he explained. Lucas nodded, understanding what Taeyong was saying.

“Sorry” he apologized. Jaehyun smiled sadly.

“He has a number of memories up here, not all are good” he added. Lucas nodded in understanding before he cleared his throat.

“Um…let's go get Al” he suggested. Taeyong and Jaehyun agreed with nods as they followed after the young man.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Johnny was walking through the lab when Jungwoo rushed over to him, an evidence bag in his hand.

“Hey, hyung! I ran the script bottles I collected from the Endecott house. Couple of bottles: Tom, Paroxetine; Alexa, Zolpidem” he stated as he handed the evidence bag over to Johnny. Johnny frowned.

“Zolpidem? Alexa was taking a sleeping aid?” he asked. Jungwoo shrugged.

“I guess” he replied. 

“Who's the family doctor?” Johnny demanded. 

“A Dr. Feldstein” Jungwoo replied, making Johnny stop and look at him.

“Miles Feldstein?” he asked. Jungwoo nodded.

“Yeah. Why, does the name ring a bell?” he replied. Johnny nodded.

“He testified in Darius’s competency hearing murder of three nurses in Midtown. He determined that Darius was sane enough to stand trial” he explained.

“This is big, right?” Jungwoo asked. Johnny smiled.

“Huge. You just found the connection between Darius and Alexa” he stated, clapping Jungwoo on the shoulder before he turned and headed out of the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

After Johnny talked to Jungwoo, he and Ten headed to Miles Feldstein’s office, both men standing before his secretary.

“Lieutenant Seo, LPD” Johnny introduced before he motioned to Ten.

“This is Sergeant Leechaiyapornkul. We're here to see Dr. Feldstein right now” he continued. The secretary shook her head.

“He's with a client. You can't go in” she stated as she motioned to the yellow light above the door.

“The yellow light means he's mid-session” she explained. Johnny huffed.

“Session’s over. We're here about a murder” he declared as he walked over to the door and opened it, Ten following behind him.

“Lieutenant Seo, LPD” Johnny introduced as he walked over to Dr. Feldstein and placed his hands on his hips.

“Your, uh, yellow light was on. Where's your client?” he asked.

“Uh, I had a cancellation. I needed some quiet time to do my bills” Dr. Feldstein replied.

Ten frowned and crossed his arms.

“Doctor, uh, how many times did you meet with Darius?” he asked. Dr. Feldstein frowned.

“Why?” he replied. Johnny narrowed his eyes at him.

“Did you reveal any information about Alexa at that meeting?” he demanded. Dr. Feldstein shook his head.

“No, that would be against the law” he replied.

“Darius targeted Alexa in Yadrioria, brought her back to her parents' home where he robbed and killed her” Johnny explained. 

“Uh, what does that have to do with—” Dr. Feldstein started.

“Doctor, you're the only point of intersection between killer and victim. Either you're an accomplice or you were duped” Ten deadpanned. Dr. Feldstein sighed.

“All right, I may have unwittingly…mentioned some of my clientele” he replied. Both Johnny and Ten raised an eyebrow.

“Unwittingly?” Johnny repeated. Dr. Feldstein nodded and explained to him and Ten his conversation that he had with Darius when Darius was in prison. Ten smirked.

“Sounds like Darius out-psyched the pysch” he sneered as Johnny raised an eyebrow at Dr. Feldstein.

“What else did you tell him?” he demanded.

“I may have mentioned that Alexa would have come into $3 million on her 21st birthday” Dr. Feldstein replied. Johnny and Ten stared at him in shock.

“You told a convicted killer that?!” Ten exclaimed. Dr. Feldstein turned to glare at him and both Ten and Johnny noticed that there was some type of wound on the man’s face.

“Well, come on, he was going away for life. I mean, what was he gonna do with that information?” he replied. 

“You'd be surprised” Johnny replied before he walked over to Dr. Feldstein and pointed to his face and the wound.

“What's that?” he asked. Dr. Feldstein brushed him off.

“I cut myself shaving. I cut myself shaving, it's nothing” he stammered. Ten gave him a look.

“He was here, wasn't he?” he asked.

“He came in the "out" door. He told me that if I gave him up, he'd kill me” Dr. Feldstein shuddered. Johnny and Ten groaned.

“Darius was just here?” Johnny groaned.

“He was just here, yes!” Dr. Feldstein exclaimed. Johnny then looked over at the window and noticed wires nearby so he rushed over and pulled open the blinds to see a man in a black hat and gray sweatshirt standing on the scaffolding.

“Ten! Outside! Scaffolding!” he shouted before he rushed out of the office. 

“Right!” Ten replied as he quickly ran after Johnny. They both then rushed outside, officers following after them, all of their guns drawn. When they ran over to the scaffolding, the man was still standing there.

“Darius! Show me your hands!” Johnny barked. The man’s hands immediately shot up as Ten also pointed to the man.

“Turn around! Slowly!” he ordered. As the man slowly turned around, Johnny and Ten sighed when they realized that it wasn’t Darius.

“He put a gun in my mouth. Made me take my coveralls off, put this hat on” the worker explained. Just then, Ten and Johnny looked up to see a piece of blue fabric come floating down from the top of the building, which soon landed at Johnny’s feet.

“Son of a bitch” Johnny growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, and subscribe!


	51. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 5

A little while later, Xiaojun arrived at the scene and walked over to Johnny, carrying what looked like folded blue overalls.

“Hyung? Found these on the roof of the building. He's probably long gone by now” he stated. Johnny hummed as he summoned a pair of gloves and slipped them on before taking the overalls out of Xiaojun’s hand and inspecting them. He then noticed something in the pocket and reached inside, pulling out a Metrocard.

“Metrocard” he stated. Xiaojun hummed.

“I wonder if that could be the window washer's” he mused. Johnny shook his head.

“The washer doesn't put these on till he's at work” he stated. Xiaojun frowned and crossed his arms.

“Now, why would he make a mistake like that?” he asked. Johnny sighed.

“He left this on purpose. He wants a meeting” he explained as he turned the card over to show Xiaojun some handwritten numbers.

“A four-digit code on the back, handwritten. That's the lead car number. I think Darius wants me to catch the same train as him” he stated. Xiaojun frowned.

“Where?” he asked. Johnny shook his head and he held up the card.

“That’s what I’m gonna find out” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, across town, Lucas, Taeyong, and Jaehyun went to the club that Albert Grafton worked at, and as soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by a bouncer.

“Good afternoon” he greeted. Lucas then held up his badge, making the man’s eyes widen.

“Albert Grafton works here, correct?” he asked. The man nodded and motioned over to a tall African American man standing by the chocolate fountain.

“He's security. He's over by the chocolate fountain” he stated. Lucas nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked, heading over to Albert, Jaehyun and Taeyong following after him.

“Albert” Lucas greeted as he, Taeyong, and Jaehyun stood before him.

“Five-0. At my club. Something happen I don't know about?” Albert replied. Lucas huffed and crossed his arms.

“You were involved in a shooting four months ago at a club in Tribeca” he stated. Albert smiled slightly.

“Security detail. It was self-defense. Judge dismissed the case” he replied. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“Where's that gun now, Albert?” he asked. Albert shook his head.

“I don’t know” he replied. Taeyong let out a little huff of a laugh before the smile fell from his face.

“Albert, here's what I want you to do. Very slowly, I want you to open your jacket” he instructed. When Albert made no move, Taeyong let out a little growl.

“Do it” he snarled. Albert stared at him before he slowly opened his suit jacket, allowing Jaehyun to step forward and reach into his jacket, pulling a nine-mil out from his belt.

“Well Taeyong, this looks like our nine-millimeter Glock” he declared, showing the gun to his partner. Taeyong nodded.

“Same gun that killed Lydia Johnson, Albert” he agreed, staring at Albert, who shook his head.

“I don't know no Lydia Johnson” he grumbled. Lucas huffed.

“Well, striations from the bullet put your gun at her murder, back in Yadrioria” he stated. Albert growled.

“Hey, I bought that gun off some guy off in Union Square” he snapped.

“When?” Taeyong demanded.

“About a year ago” Albert replied. Taeyong nodded, taking in that information.

“Okay, that's the same time she was killed, my friend” he stated as Jaehyun pulled up a picture of the ponytail man that Adam described.

“This man look familiar to you?” he asked. Albert said nothing, making Taeyong growl.

“Albert, answer the question or he’s going to hook you up” he snarled. Albert huffed before he nodded.

“He looks a lot like the guy that sold me the piece; ponytail, mouth. His eyes were more narrow set. He had a bump on his nose, just underneath the ridge” he explained. Jaehyun hummed approvingly.

“You have an amazing memory” he praised. Albert huffed.

“I work security, dawg. It's my job to remember faces” he replied. Lucas nodded.

“Well, that’s great, because I need every detail” he stated. Taeyong then smirked at Albert.

“That’s right, dawg” he sneered before he and Jaehyun walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Lucas’s lab, Jaehyun and Taeyong were standing on either side of the man as he looked down at Adam’s drawing of the “ponytail man”. 

“How we doing?” Taeyong asked, looking at Lucas. 

“Big Al's got a world class memory. PIMS program will start comparing mug shots in a second” Lucas replied before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“Did you check out his story?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“I did. He was in Japan working security with some big rapper the week Lydia was killed. Customs confirmed it for me” he explained. Lucas huffed.

“So his story holds?” he grumbled. Jaehyun nodded again.

“Yeah. So…somebody killed Lydia Johnson in Yadrioria, and then sold Big Al the gun in Lecleusia” he murmured. Lucas hummed, just as his computer started pinging, making him and the others look over at it.

“All right, here we go. Just gonna put in the PIMS data. _“Latino male, 30 to 35, brown hair, brown eyes, 175 to 200 pounds.”_ Over a hundred hits. Think we need to pare this down a little bit” he stated. 

“Definitely” Taeyong agreed.

“Big Al said that he had narrow-set eyes and a lump on his nose, right?” Lucas asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yes” he replied. Lucas nodded as well as he typed that into the computer, shrinking down the suspect pool to thirty-five. 

“And then there’s the ponytail” he continued, shrinking down the suspects to just three. He then ran the faces against Adam’s drawing, finally coming up with a name.

“Vincent Rosetti” Taeyong read aloud.

“That's your Rosie” Lucas declared. Taeyong nodded

“Yes. Did time in Attica. Same time as Darius” he murmured. Lucas hummed.

“Well, if Darius got information from the shrink, you can bet that he got information from a convict” he stated. 

“I agree” Jaehyun replied. Lucas then turned back to the computer.

“Let me check his current status” he murmured before the answer popped up before him.

“Got off on parole two days ago” he declared. Taeyong hummed.

“His parole officer will know where he works. In the meantime, we’re gonna get this to Al and double confirm it, all right?” he stated. Lucas nodded.

“No problem” he replied. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded as well before they turned and headed out of the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	52. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 6

Down in the subway, Johnny was trying to make his way through the crowded subway car, and as he was walking, a man bumped into a woman, causing one of her packages to drop to the floor.

“Hey, hey. Watch where you're going!” she called out, but the man just kept walking. Johnny noticed her package on the ground and stopped, kneeling down to pick it up and handed it back to her.

“Thank you” the woman thanked.

“You’re quite the gentleman” a voice called out, making Johnny turn to see Darius not too far from him in the car.

“Darius” Johnny greeted.

“Lieutenant Seo” Darius replied before he smirked.

“I'm impressed you went through all the trouble” he stated. Johnny huffed.

“You've been busy, Darius. Here; Yadrioria” he started.

“You said you'd help me. You offered me a deal if I confessed. Those three nurses in Midtown; I sat in your interview room, and I told you everything” Darius exclaimed. Johnny huffed again.

“Except why” he reminded. Darius looked at him with pleading eyes.

“I was hoping you'd tell me. You're the only one who knows I can't control it” he explained. Johnny nodded.

“That's why I came alone. I want you to come with me” he stated as he took a step towards Darius. Darius was quiet before he smiled slightly.

“I want to” he agreed. Johnny nodded again.

“Next stop, you and me” he stated. Darius was quiet and a look came over his face, making Johnny frown as Darius turned over his hand to reveal it completely covered in blood.

“I can't” Darius croaked. Johnny’s eyes widened immediately and he looked around the subway car until he saw a passenger tilt his head to the side to reveal a slit on the side of his neck.

“Who you gonna take care of now, huh, me or him?” Darius cried out before he pulled the emergency brake line, causing all of the passengers to go sliding as the train slowed to a stop. Darius then rushed over to one of the doors and opened it, slipping out onto the tracks. Johnny quickly rushed after him, looking out the door, ready to run after him but he decided not to and ran back to the bleeding subway passenger, pressing a hand to the man’s neck.

“LPD. Everyone stay calm. It's under control” he called out before he looked over at the man sitting next to the bleeding passenger.

“Sir, tell the conductor to shut down right away” he ordered as he summoned a walkie-talkie and pressed the “talk” button.

“CSI Lieutenant Seo to Central. I have a male stabbed, heavy bleeder, on the train just west of the Woodside Station on the subway. Need an ambulance right away” he barked.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, back in the crime lab, Johnny was walking inside when Lucas walked over to him.

“Hey. Ten told me that the guy on the train is going to be okay” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“Rescue stabilized him. He was lucky” he replied. Lucas huffed.

“Lucky you were there” he corrected. Johnny shook his head.

“Never mind that. I got every man in blue out looking for Darius. Full-court press. This is the manhunt of the decade right here, right now” he declared. Lucas nodded.

“I hear you. See this face? I'll check in with you later, Johnny” he stated before he continued walking, heading towards the door. Johnny frowned.

“Where you headed?” he asked. Lucas stopped and looked over at him, smirking.

“Got a lead on the guy that was in Attica with Darius. He works at a parking garage on Fifth. I'll keep you posted” he stated before he continued towards the door. Johnny watched him leave before he walked over to the lab, where Hendery was working.

“Looks important” he stated as he walked over to Hendery, who looked up at him and nodded as he took a step away from his microscope.

“This is the fiber from inside the vault” he explained as Johnny stepped forward and looked inside, looking at the fiber Hendery was talking about.

“It's synthetic. Okay” he murmured. Hendery nodded.

“Ripstop nylon with a polyurethane coating. Probably some kind of protectant” he explained. Johnny hummed.

“Against weather. So, we're talking gym bag, backpack, some kind of carrier” he mused. Hendery nodded.

“Exactly” he replied. Johnny bit his lip, thinking.

“The eyewitnesses who remember seeing Darius enter the building with Alexa said neither of them was carrying a bag” he stated. Hendery huffed.

“Fiber's telling us that somebody else was there” he murmured. 

“Xiaojun’s on the biometric lock. We'll find out who” Johnny declared.

~*~*~*~*~

At the parking garage, Lucas, Taeyong, and Jaehyun were standing before the parking garage manager, hands on every man’s hips.

“Where's Vincent Rosetti? He parks cars here” Lucas stated. Just then, a man with a long ponytail pulled up in a red convertible, getting out to take the money from the owner of the car when Taeyong looked over at him.

“Hey, Vincent” he called out, making the man, Vincent “Rosie” Rosetti, look over at him with wide eyes before he got back into the car, making the owner a little pissed.

“What are you doing? I'm in a hurry” she exclaimed.

“Vincent, don't do it” Taeyong warned, but Rosie ignored him and hit the gas, driving out of the parking garage.

“Vincent!” Jaehyun shouted as he, Taeyong, and Lucas rushed out of the parking garage after him. Rosie drove into oncoming traffic, causing a taxi to crash into a park car. Rosie then swerved, avoiding more oncoming traffic, only to get caught in a downward ramp, which was blocked in both directions. Just then, Lucas appeared on the passenger side of the car, smirking as he pointed his gun at Vincent.

“Midtown traffic's a bitch” he teased. Afterwards, Rosie was dragged out of the car and over to Jaehyun and Taeyong, both of whom were glaring at the man as he was being booked.

“Vince Rosetti, you're under arrest for the murder of Lydia Johnson” Taeyong growled.

“And that's just the charge in Yadrioria” Lucas added. Jaehyun then shook his head.

“Selling your weapon in Union Square to a stranger, Vincent? That wasn't too bright, was it?” he asked. Rosie scoffed.

“No way. Been in Attica the last six months on a stolen property bid” he replied. Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, we know. That's where you met up with Darius” he stated. Rosie shrugged.

“So, I was in lockdown with him. Big deal” he replied. Taeyong shook his head.

“On the contrary Vincent. It is a big deal” he snarled. Lucas then stepped forward, a long swab in his hand.

“Open your mouth” he ordered. Rosie ignored his order, making Lucas groan.

“Open your mouth” he repeated. Rosie still ignored his order, so Jaehyun let out a growl, making Rosie look up at him with wide eyes.

**“** **Do it”** he growled. Rosie nodded and opened his mouth, allowing Lucas to swipe around in his mouth before he removed the swab and stuck it back in the box.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked before he and Jaehyun walked off, leaving Lucas to deal with Rosie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	53. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - Part 7

Back in the lab, Xiaojun was working on the biometric lock when Johnny walked in.

“I got an urgent message. What’s up?” he asked, making Xiaojun look over at him.

“We got a discrepancy in the timeline” he stated. Johnny frowned.

“Okay…” he replied. Xiaojun nodded as he turned back to his computer.

“Yeah, I been working on this biometric palm analyzer. Take a look” he stated, motioning to his monitor screen.

“Safe was opened at 1:30 p.m” he continued. Johnny nodded.

“Consistent with the time of the murders” he mused. Xiaojun huffed.

“But I checked earlier in the day. It was also opened up at 10:30 a.m” he stated. Johnny frowned.

“That's a half hour before Darius landed at Teterboro” he murmured. Xiaojun nodded.

“Hence, my urgent message. There's no way Darius could have opened that safe the first time” he explained. Johnny hummed.

“So, it's possible somebody else took the money out of the safe before Darius and Alexa got there” he mused. Xiaojun nodded before he turned back to his computer.

“Give me a second, and I will tell you who. Endecotts loaded the safe up with approved palm prints” he explained, clicking through the approved palm prints until he found the one that matched the 10:30 palm print.

“The little sister” he declared. Johnny was quiet before he growled.

“Have Homicide bring her in” he ordered before he walked out of the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

In an interrogation room, Vincent “Rosie” Rosetti was shown Adam’s picture of him.

“I told you guys: I've never been to Yadrioria” he stated after he looked at the drawing.

“Well, witnesses say otherwise” Jaehyun replied as he sat before Rosie, Taeyong at his side.

“A hundred guys could look like that” Rosie argued.

“A hundred guys don’t have your DNA, Vincent, which we matched to the shovel that you used to bury Lydia in Yadrioria. The key word here is "match”” Taeyong stated.

“First, you shot her, and then came back here to Lecleusia and sold the gun. But the striations followed you, Vincent” Jaehyun continued, smirking at the man.

“Let's go, Vince. Let's hear it, right now” Taeyong ordered. Rosie was quiet before he sighed.

“Squirrelly little Eminem wannabe in Stresa paid me. Wanted to scare the husband. I end up with the wife” he explained. Jaehyun shook his head.

“How'd you go from scaring to murder?” he demanded. Rosie huffed.

“The broad started to fight me. I was just going to drive her around a couple hours 'til her husband played some song. She grabbed the gun; it went off. She made the first move” he replied. Taeyong growled and shook his head.

“Oh, don't even blame her for what you did” he spat. Rosie threw up his hands.

“She was driving crazy, bleeding everywhere. Screaming; I had to shut her up” he exclaimed.

“So you put a bullet in her temple” Jaehyun deadpanned, voice deadly and soft. Rosie glanced at him before he shrugged.

“It worked” he replied.

“It worked” Taeyong repeated before he took a deep breath, calming himself.

“Where's Darius, Vincent?” he demanded. Rosie shrugged.

“Beats me. I haven't seen him since that day after lockdown” he replied. Taeyong hummed before he nodded.

“Okay Vince” he stated before he looked down at Jaehyun.

“Jaehyun, could I have a word with you, please?” he asked. Jaehyun looked up at him and nodded.

“Of course” he replied as he stood up from his chair, following after his husband.

“I would really love first crack at this guy” Taeyong murmured once they were out of Rosie’s earshot. Jaehyun nodded.

“I know” he replied, just as soft. Taeyong huffed.

“You think Lucas would mind?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“I think he wants this guy off the streets as much as you and I do” he replied. Taeyong nodded before he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Lucas, just to let him know what his intentions were.

_Going to get first crack at Rosie. Hope you don’t mind._

_Taeyong_

Before he could even put his phone back in his pocket, his phone chimed with a response.

_Have at the bastard_

_Lucas_

Taeyong smirked before he looked up at Jaehyun, who raised an eyebrow at him.

“We’re all good to go” he declared. Jaehyun smiled before he and Taeyong walked back over to Rosie, who smirked at them.

“Sounds top secret” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“It was top secret, Vincent” he replied before he cleared his throat.

“So I want you to be the first to know that you are returning to Yadrioria” he continued. Rosie shrugged.

“Cool, I like the sun” he replied. Jaehyun smirked as his eyes glowed white.

**“** **Yes, well, you won't get to see very much of it, Vincent, because we enforce the death penalty”** he growled, making Rosie look at him with wide eyes before he looked over at Taeyong, only to see his eyes were glowing red.

~*~*~*~*~

Johnny was in his office when Ten walked in, a look of annoyance on his face.

“Checked on the whereabouts of Sarah Endecott. She's not at the house or the school, or anywhere in between” he grumbled. Johnny nodded.

“That's what I figured. Let’s switched over to Plan B” he suggested. Ten nodded.

“Right… no girl ever leaves her house without her cellphone. At least, not at that age” he mused. Johnny then turned to his computer and typed in the phone number to the GPS system, waiting for a result. They soon got it, making both him and Ten smirk.

“Expensive taste, this one” Ten mused.

“She’s an Endecott, what did you expect?” Johnny replied before he grabbed his coat and headed out of his office, Ten following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

At the large mall not too far from the crime lab, Johnny and Ten stood outside of Tiffany’s and waited for Sarah to step out, and step out she did, with a large robin’s egg blue bag.

“Sarah” Johnny greeted. Sarah blinked before she smiled nervously.

“Um, hi, Lieutenant Seo” she replied. Ten then crossed his arms.

“A little retail therapy? That's one way to get over the loss of your sister. May I take a peek?” he asked. Sarah was hesitant, but then she sighed as she lowered her arm so that Ten could look inside. Ten then stepped over to her and looked inside the bag, humming approvingly.

“Nice” he stated before he reached into the bag and pulled out the receipt, looking at it.

“$8,000 and she spent cash” he declared, glancing over at Johnny.

“Well, it's my…it's my money, I can use it however I want” Sarah protested. Johnny hummed before looking at the red backpack that Sarah was wearing.

“How'd you rip your backpack?” he asked. Sarah shrugged. Johnny then held out a hand, making Sarah sigh as she handed the backpack over, which Johnny took and inspected.

“We found red fibers from a backpack in your parents' bedroom. By the safe. I thought you never went in there” he mused. Sarah blinked before she shook her head.

“I don't…I don't know…I hardly ever do” she replied, stumbling to find the words. Johnny then handed the bag over to Ten, who jiggled it a little.

“This is pretty heavy. Mind if I open it?” he asked. Sarah shook her head, making Ten smile as he opened up the large pocket, looking inside to see bundles of cash inside.

“It's a lot more than just "walk-around" money, even for an Endecott” he stated. Johnny then crossed his arms.

“You were in the house to steal the money. The pharm party was just a ruse” he theorized. Sarah sighed.

“Well, the plan was: have some friends over, party and I'd take the money while they were there. And if the cops got wind, I'd have an alibi” she explained. Ten then looked back down in the backpack, frowning.

“This doesn't look like the full three million” he stated, looking up at Sarah. Johnny looked at her as well, also frowning.

“You couldn't have spent all this today. Where's the rest of the money?” he questioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	54. Case 8: Lecleusia Manhunt - CASE CLOSED

Back in the crime lab, Sarah was sitting in the interrogation room next to her father while Johnny and Ten sat before them.

“Mr. Endecott, we're doing everything humanly possible to put this animal behind bars” Johnny stated. Mr. Endecott then looked over at Sarah.

“Where were you, Sarah?” he asked softly. Ten then sighed.

“Sarah's in a lot of trouble, sir. She failed to notify authorities after fleeing the scene of a murder, robbery—” he started when Mr. Endecott shook his head.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, slow down. Sarah didn't steal the money. I told her she could take it from the safe” he explained. Both Ten and Johnny gave him a look.

“With all due respect, sir, we happen to know that the money was for Alexa. We know all about the trust fund. Money was for Alexa on her 21st birthday” Johnny stated.

“Coming from money, kids can end up with no ambition no drive. I told them they stayed clean and sober, at 21, they'd get three million to do as they see fit. Alexa was going to start a day care down in Yadrioria. She was the one who loved kids. Her whole life was in front of her” Mr. Endecott explained.

“Perhaps your youngest daughter stole the money because she knew that she'd never pass the clean and sober clause” Ten suggested. Mr. Endecott shook his head.

“I lost one daughter today. I'm not gonna lose another. I told Sarah she could take the money” he repeated. Johnny was quiet before he cleared his throat.

“You should know, sir, that we only found half the money” he stated before he looked over at Sarah.

“Where’s the other half?” he asked. Mr. Endecott frowned before he looked over at Sarah as well.

“Sarah. Who have you got mixed up with this time?” he demanded.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Sarah and her father, Ten and Johnny went back to Alexa’s shrink’s office, making the receptionist stand to her feet.

“I'm sorry, you can't go in there. He's in a meeting” she stated. Ten shook his head as he held up a warrant.

“We don't want him. Warrant, with your name on it” he stated before he placed the warrant down on her desk and began to look around.

“Where’s the money?” he asked.

“Sarah gave you up” Johnny stated as Ten continued to look around until he found a gym bag, which he then placed on the receptionist’s desk and opened it, taking out a stack of bills.

“End of the year bonus?” he sneered. The receptionist looked at the bills before she looked over at Johnny.

“Could we do this somewhere else?” she asked. 

“No” Johnny replied before he walked around the other side of the desk and gently tapped on the walls.

“These walls are insulated” he declared before he turned to look at the receptionist.

“How'd you get access to Alexa's therapy sessions?” he demanded. The receptionist was quiet before she sighed.

“I type the notes from every one of Dr. Feldstein's sessions. Transcribed a session; Alexa had three years ago, talking about her lump sum, how it'd come due” she explained. 

“And you knew Sarah was the black sheep of the family” Johnny guessed. The receptionist shrugged.

“Parents sent Sarah in a few times, but it didn't take. She spent most of her time on the phone with me, canceling appointments” she explained. Ten huffed.

“And you became friendly” he mused. The receptionist nodded.

“Well, I knew when Alexa would get her money. Marked it in my calendar. When the time came, I called Sarah. I had the info; she had the access” she explained.

“You're aware that when Darius found the safe empty, he killed Alexa, aren't you?” Johnny growled. The receptionist’s eyes widened.

“No, I…I wasn't aware of that” she replied.

“Well, you'll have plenty of time to think about it; 20-25 years” Johnny stated as Ten walked over to the receptionist, pulling out his handcuffs.

“Put your hands behind your back, please” he stated as he handcuffed her hands behind her back.

“You’re taking a ride” he whispered in her ear before he dragged her off.

~*~*~*~*~

While Ten took the receptionist to booking, Johnny headed back to the crime lab, only to be greeted by Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Johnny” Taeyong greeted.

“Hey” Johnny replied.

“Heard there was a break in the case” Jaehyun continued. Johnny frowned as he looked at both men.

“Thought you had to duck out on personal business” he stated. Taeyong smirked.

“We got an extension” he explained. Johnny smiled.

“Good news for both of us” he stated before he motioned for Taeyong and Jaehyun to follow him to where Jungwoo was sitting before vials of blood.

“Blood evidence from Alexa's crime scene?” Johnny asked. Jungwoo looked up at them and smirked.

“Oh, yes, gentlemen, I found something very interesting” he stated before he cleared his throat and picked up a result sheet.

“I compared reference samples from Alexa to Darius. They're related” he declared. Jaehyun and Johnny’s eyes widened in shock while Taeyong frowned.

“Related?” he repeated. Jungwoo nodded as he handed the result sheet over to him.

“They’re brother and sister” Taeyong read aloud after looking at the result sheet, which he then handed to Jaehyun.

“Also ran the references from the Endecott parents. Mrs. Endecott is unrelated, but Tom Endecott is Darius’s father” Jungwoo continued as Jaehyun handed Johnny the result sheet.

“Well, that changes everything. We think Endecott knows this?” Johnny asked. Jungwoo looked up at him and shrugged.

“I don’t know, but I'm gonna have Ten look into a paternity suit in his past” he replied. 

“The question becomes, who's the target, Endecott or his other daughter?” Jaehyun asked. Johnny was quiet before his eyes widened.

“We had to release Sarah” he whispered in horror.

“I better GPS her” Taeyong declared. Johnny huffed.

“Worked once. I'll try and track down Endecott” he stated before he turned and headed out of the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

“Come again?” Mr. Endecott asked, looking up at Johnny, who stood before him in the interrogation room.

“Darius is your biological son” Johnny explained slowly. Mr. Endecott shook his head.

“This killer, you can't be serious” he exclaimed. Johnny shook his head.

“Mr. Endecott, DNA doesn't lie” he stated as he showed Mr. Endecott the DNA results. Mr. Endecott looked at it before he shook his head.

“Look as a young guy, I sowed my share of wild oats” he explained. Johnny crossed his arms.

“Did you know you had a son out there?” he asked. Mr. Endecott shrugged.

“I vaguely remember a girl years ago telling me she had a son, claimed it was mine” he replied, just as Jungwoo walked in and handed Johnny a sheet of paper.

“Actually, it was more than just a memory. Rosemary Martinkus filed a paternity suit against you 23 years ago claiming her son was yours” he explained, looking over at Mr. Endecott, who shook his head.

“The doctors couldn't prove anything” he exclaimed.

“There was no DNA testing back then” Jungwoo reminded.

“I’d met my wife by then. We were starting our own family…” he started before he paused, his eyes going wide.

“Oh, my God. Is that why he killed Alexa?” he whispered.

“I'm beginning to think all the women he killed were stand-ins for your daughters” Johnny theorized. Mr. Endecott frowned at him.

“He told you this?” he exclaimed. Johnny shook his head.

“He doesn't understand it himself” he replied.

“See, getting Alexa's trust fund money meant he was a legitimate heir. When the money wasn't there, he responded with rage” Jungwoo explained. 

“My daughter Sarah, is she in danger?” Mr. Endecott demanded.

“We have concerns about that” Johnny replied.

“Darius said he came to Lecleusia to make things right” Jungwoo added. 

“My God” Mr. Endecott whispered, horrified.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Endecott estate, Sarah was inside the apartment when there was a banging on the door.

“Who is it?” she called out.

“Open the door, sis” Darius’s voice called out. When Sarah said nothing, Darius huffed.

“Sarah? Where's Alexa’s money?!” he called out.

“It’s gone” Sarah replied calmly. Outside the door, Darius frowned and felt a wave of rage flow through him before he took a deep breath and calmed himself.

“I want you to know who I am. I'm your biological brother” he explained. Sarah’s eyes widened as she looked through the stained glass at him.

“Open the door. You do what I say, I won't hurt you. I promise” Darius promised. Sarah didn’t move before she sighed and unlocked the door, taking a step back. Darius then turned the doorknob, stepping inside, only to find Taeyong and Jaehyun pointing their guns at him.

“Come in, Darius” Taeyong growled while Jaehyun glanced over at Sarah.

“Step away Sarah” he instructed. Sarah did what she was told and stepped back, tears streaming down her face as she looked at the man that killed her older sister. Just then, Johnny appeared, also pointing a gun at him.

“Turn around. Put your hands on your head” he ordered. Darius did what he was told as Johnny stepped over to him and grabbed him by the wrist, handcuffing him behind his back.

“You’re under arrest” he growled.

“Darius” Taeyong called out, making Darius glance over at him.

**“** **It’s all over”** he growled. Two of Ten’s officers then walked into the apartment and grabbed Darius by the arms, leading him out. Before they got outside, however, Darius stopped and looked over his shoulder at Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Johnny before he was yanked by one of the officers to keep moving. Once he was gone, Johnny looked over at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Nice job” he praised. Taeyong smiled.

“Our pleasure” he replied.

“Want to hop in a squad? I'll take you red lights to LaGuardia” Johnny offered. Jaehyun shook his head.

“It’s all been arranged, thank you” he thanked.

“Give my best to the others, will you?” Taeyong added. Johnny nodded.

“Sure” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“We’ll see you, Johnny” he bid before he and Jaehyun walked out of the apartment, heading downstairs.

~*~*~*~*~

Downstairs, outside of the apartment, Taeyong pulled out his phone and dialed a number, hoping that the person on the other line would pick up.

 _“Hello?”_ a young voice answered after three rings.

“Hey Adam. It’s Lieutenant Lee and Dr. Jung. Listen, I've got some news for you. I got him and I'm bringing him back to Yadrioria” Taeyong declared, putting the call on speaker so that Jaehyun could hear it as well. 

_“I’m sorry Lieutenant”_ Adam apologized, making Taeyong and Jaehyun’s eyes widened.

“Adam, wait a second. You never need to apologize to us. Okay? We’re here and we’re not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere” Jaehyun soothed. There was silence, making Taeyong and Jaehyun frown.

“Adam?” Taeyong asked gently, only to hear a soft sob and a little sniffle.

“Adam?” Jaehyun exclaimed softly, trying not to draw attention to their phone conversation.

 _“Thank you. Thank you so much”_ Adam croaked. Taeyong and Jaehyun both smiled fondly.

“You’re welcome buddy” Taeyong replied before he and Jaehyun said their goodbyes and hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in a holding cell in the local police department, Johnny stood before Darius.

“You’ll be extradited back to Yadrioria after we file on you here in Lecleusia” Johnny stated, making Darius walk over to them.

“Do you know what's wrong with me?” he asked. Johnny scoffed.

“I’m not a shrink” he replied. Darius smirked.

“Better than Dr. Feldstein, I'll tell you that” he stated. Johnny said nothing before he turned and walked away, heading over to Ten who was waiting for him.

“Thank you. For everything” Darius suddenly called out, making both Ten and Johnny look at him in confusion.

“Pardon?” Johnny asked, walking back over to the cell, Ten following him.

“This may sound crazy to you, Lieutenant Seo, but you fought for me. Chased me all over Nuswar. And you too, Sergeant Leechaiyapornkul” Darius stated, looking over at Ten as well. Johnny and Ten frowned.

“That’s our job” Johnny stated. 

“But you came looking for me. And that's more than my father ever did. You think if he'd acknowledged me, I wouldn't have done the things that I did?” Darius asked, tilting his head at Johnny, who shook his head.

“It's not for me to decide. That's between you and your own personal god” he replied as Ten glared at Darius.

“Me? I don't pity you, Darius. There's a lot of people with worse stories than yours. They never hurt anyone. You killed 12 people in two states over the last 72 hours, and you want me to feel sorry for you because your daddy didn't kiss you when you were a baby? You asked for our help, we did help you. You're where you belong. **You rot in hell, you son of a bitch** ” he spat before he turned and walked away. Johnny smirked at Darius before he turned and followed after Ten, leaving Darius a seething mess in the cell, but neither man cared. The monster was finally behind bars and they could finally rest easy that he wouldn’t be hurting anyone else for a very, very long time.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	55. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This case and the next case is a blast to the past, before the team was the team that it is now

It was a dark night in Yadrioria as a party was going on in a penthouse. The music was blasting as people of all ages danced to the loud and pumping music. As the people in the penthouse were drinking and dancing, one of the dancers, a young woman by the name of Michelle Wilson, grabbed her friend’s wrist and looked at her watch with wide eyes.

“Is that the time? Oh my god. It's almost 2 o'clock. My parents are gonna kill me!” she exclaimed. Her friend rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away.

“Chill! One more dance” she urged. Michelle shook her head.

“You don't know my parents. Come on” she argued as she dragged her friend out of the party.

~*~*~*~*~

After Michelle left the party, she quietly snuck back onto her property and crept back to her house, pausing when she saw that the protective glass door was open and the screen door was slit. She stared at the slit for a moment before she pushed open the door leading to the house.

“Mom? Dad?” she called out, noticing that the television was on and rather loud. As she walked down the hallway, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, so she stopped and turned, eyes widening in horror at the sight before her: her parent’s bedroom, sheets covered in blood with blood splatter on the walls. She took a horrified step back before she shook her head.

“Mom!” she screamed as she ran down the hallway towards the living room, not even noticing her father’s murdered body at the end of the hall. As she ran down the stairs into the living room, she saw her mother sitting in a cushiony white chair, so she ran over to her and shook her arm, only to have her mother’s head fall back, revealing near decapitation, causing Michelle to scream in horror.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, when the sun came up, police were at the scene, as were the paramedics. As the paramedics and policemen were heading towards the house, a white Lamborghini drove into the driveway and parked and soon a tall young man with light skin, dark blue hair, and brown eyes stepped out of the car and noticed Michelle sitting down on a white wall talking to a police officer. As he walked towards her, an officer walked over to him.

“Both parents?” the man, Detective Lee Taeyong, questioned. The officer nodded.

“Girl came home, found them both dead. Suspect probably came in through the back window” he replied.

“Okay” Taeyong stated.

“Window’s slashed” the officer continued. Taeyong nodded as he continued towards Michelle.

“Alright, thank you officer” he thanked before he snapped his fingers, summoning a small blanket to put around Michelle.

“You’re shivering” he murmured as he wrapped the blanket around Michelle.

“There you go” he continued, making sure the blanket was wrapped well around her.

Once she was wrapped up, Taeyong cleared his throat.

“All right, here's what I want you to do. I want you to go and sit and wait for me in my car, okay? Could you do that?” he asked softly. Michelle nodded and stood up from where she was sitting, heading over to Taeyong’s car. Taeyong watched her head towards his car before he head over to the house, heading inside. 

“Taeil?” he asked as he walked into the living room where Dr. Moon Taeil, a tall young man with light skin, bright red hair, and brown eyes, was standing behind Michelle’s mother.

“Blood pool's dry at the edges. Put's TOD at around eleven” he replied. Taeyong hummed as he walked over to the body to inspect it.

“So our head is literally hanging by a thread of skin” he mused.

“Single edged knife. Mom was attacked from behind, sliced left to right” Taeil replied before he took Mrs. Wilson’s left hand and lifted it, searching for defensive wounds or anything else.

“No indication of resistance” he stated.

“She was probably asleep” Taeyong theorized as Taeil turned back to Mrs. Wilson’s neck.

“He transected all the neck muscles, down to the second cervical axis” he stated.

Taeyong said nothing as he knelt down next to the body, brown eyes sad.

“He decapitated her, Taeil” he murmured. Taeil growled as he looked over at him.

“Guy's a monster, who doesn’t know his own strength” he snarled.

“Well, he's about to know ours” Taeyong declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	56. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 2

While Taeyong was with Taeil, outside of the house, CSI Qian Kun, a tall young man with light skin, bright blue hair, and brown eyes, walked up to the house, pointing a flashlight at the slashed screen door. He frowned at it for a moment before he pushed the door open and stepped inside, shining his flashlight at the surrounding walls and floors until he flashlight caught something, so he looked down to see a shining glob of saliva on the floor. He hummed as he knelt down before the glob, just as his partner, CSI Liu Yangyang, a tall young man with light skin, light brown hair with bleach blonde streaks, and brown eyes, walked in behind him.

“What's up?” he asked, his own flashlight in his hand.

“It looks more like what's down. I'm not exactly sure but I think someone gobbed up” Kun replied, glancing over his shoulder at him.

“You got spit? That's great. You might have hit the jackpot” Yangyang stated.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down the hall, Taeil was kneeling next to Mr. Wilson, checking on his body, while Taeyong stood before the entrance to the master bedroom.

“Something's not right Taeil” he stated, making Taeil look over at him.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Taeyong said nothing as he turned towards the door.

“Point of entry is back here—” he started, pointing to the door before he turned and pointed down the hall.

“—but the origin of the blood drops is down here in the study where mom was killed. And they travel up this hallway to the bedroom where dad was eventually killed. Which means the killer bypassed the bedroom where dad was attacked” he continued before he frowned and shook his head.

“Why would he do that? Why wouldn't you eliminate the muscle first?” he inquired. Taeil shrugged.

“That would have been the smart move. Why do you think he didn't?” he replied, titling his head. Taeyong hummed as he pointed to the bedroom.

“Dad survives the attack, he managed to get up, come this way, and head down the hall toward you right?” he asked. Taeil nodded and Taeyong slowly began to make his way down the hall, motioning to the walls.

“And along here, you see arterial gushing” he continued.

“Where our suspect sank this sucker in him” Taeil finished, looking down at the knife in the body.

“Single-edged all right” he continued before he looked up and noticed the house phone on the table next to the body.

“Phone's right here. Don't know why he didn't try to use it” he mused. Taeyong said nothing as he walked down the hall to the final room and looked inside.

“That's because he wasn't going for help, Taeil. He came down here to protect his daughter” he declared before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Taeil, Taeyong headed back outside and over to his Lamborghini, where Michelle was curled up in the driver’s seat in her blanket.

“Michelle?” he started gently, accidentally frightening her. He smiled apologetically before he cleared his throat.

“I think it's important for you to be in a safe place right now” he stated gently.

“Safe?” Michelle repeated. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah they're probably gonna broadcast on the news that you survived the attack” he explained. Michelle’s eyes widened in horror.

“You mean he could come back?” she exclaimed. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, he wouldn’t. Michelle, Michelle, listen to me” he soothed, but Michelle was too shaken up, so Taeyong quickly reached out and gently cupped Michelle’s face in his hand, making her look over at him.

“Michelle, I am gonna find this man. He is not gonna hurt you again, but I need you to be in a safe place until I do. You understand? I want you to go with those officers until I find him. The next time you see my face, you're gonna know that you're safe. I promise. Okay?” he promised. Michelle was quiet before she nodded.

“Okay. You go with these officers” Taeyong instructed, helping Michelle out of his car before leading her over to the police officers that were on the scene.

~*~*~*~*~

While Taeyong was with Michelle, CSI Huang Renjun, a tall young man with light skin, blond hair with black roots, and brown eyes was walking around the premises, carrying a camera in his gloved hand. As he walked around, he noticed tire treads in the dirt and a scrap piece of paper in it as well, so he picked up his camera and snapped a picture before summoning an evidence bag and walked over to the scrap, picking it up and placing it inside the bag.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the lab, Kun took the saliva found at the scene that morning in a pipette and placed it onto a glass microscope slide before taking some more of it and placing it into a centrifuge bottle before taking another pipette and placing some solution into the same bottle before running through a test, just as Yangyang walked into his lab.

“Hey Kun-ge” he called out. 

“We narrowed the geographical profile of our suspect” Kun replied as Yangyang walked over to him.

“Huh, what did he do? Hock up his address?” he asked. Kun nodded.

“Yeah. Take a look” he replied, motioning to the microscope he was working at before she walked over to the printer as it printed out the results and he grabbed it, looking at it.

“What is it?” Yangyang asked, looking up from looking in the microscope.

“Mercury, asbestos, and lead. Kerosene, distilled petroleum. It’s jet fuel” Kun replied. Yangyang hummed.

“Ground Zero” he declared. Kun nodded.

“There are thousands of cases of upper respiratory inflammation reported by people who were living in the vicinity of the 9/11 attack. So I'm thinking our suspect routinely expectorates phlegm in order to clear his throat” he explained. Yangyang hummed.

“Dad might have been in Xuswiunia on business during 9/11” he mused.

“Except I don't think the Wilsons are the kind of people who would spit in the house. I'm gonna compare the DNA to the parents, but I'm thinking that the spit belongs to our killer” Kun declared. Yangyang shrugged.

“They call Yadrioria the sixth borough. The guy might have moved down here, be a local by now” he mused.

“I'll run it against local databases” Kun assured. Yangyang nodded before he turned and headed out of the lab, leaving Kun to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	57. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 3

Meanwhile, in another lab, Taeyong, dressed in a lab coat, was standing before the Wilsons’ clothing, running a lint roller over Mr. Wilson’s shirt. As he was working, Renjun walked into the lab.

“Renjun. I have dad's clothes, orange and purple fibers, ancillary hairs, probably transferred by his attacker” Taeyong called out as Renjun walked over to him. Renjun frowned.

“That's strange, cos I found seven different hairs and none of them were pulled” he stated. Taeyong hummed.

“Okay, so the hairs were shed, and the fibers are from a community source” he declared.

“You mean from a blanket?” Renjun asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Just like from a blanket. What else?” he asked. Renjun pulled the evidence bag out of his pocket and handed it over.

“Found this. It's another piece. It's a coded piece of paper with a partial shoe print. So, that icon on there, I ran it” he explained as he summoned a computer and typed in his password before showing Taeyong what his latest search discovered.

“You got Sunstar Rental. Yadrioria International” he declared. Taeyong hummed.

“Kun made a connection to Xuswiunia. Do you know what that means?” he asked. Renjun frowned before it hit him.

“Our killer flew down here” he declared. Taeyong nodded.

“Our killer flew down here” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

After making the connection that the killer had flown down from Xuswiunia, Taeyong and Renjun headed to Sunstar Rental to talk to the owner.

“Jeongja, in the last 48 hours, how many males flew down from Xuswiunia City and rented a car?” Taeyong asked. The owner, Do Jeongja, huffed as she looked down at her clipboard.

“Close to a hundred” she replied. Taeyong hummed.

“See I'm working with purple and orange fibers, they could be from a seat, a blanket. I'm curious is there an airline that has that as a color scheme?” he asked. Jeongja shook her head.

“Not many. But only one that services the East coast: Maybach Air” she explained.

“In the last 48 hours, how many males have flown down on Maybach?” Taeyong asked.

“Two dozen” Jeongja replied.

“And returned their car late last night, or early this morning” Renjun added. Jeongja searched her clipboard before she discovered something.

“A Nick Murdock? I can get you a copy of his license. He returned a mid-size car at 5:30 AM returning to Xuswiunia on Maybach Air” she stated.

“Where would that car be?” Taeyong asked.

“All the returns get detailed at the end of the lot” Jeongja replied.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked before he and Renjun turned and walked away, heading for the end of the lot.

~*~*~*~*~

“Woah, woah gentlemen. Please step away from the vehicle right now” Taeyong called out. The two men working on cleaning the car quickly put down their equipment and walked away, allowing Renjun and Taeyong to process. Taeyong headed over to the passenger’s side of the car and opened the door while Renjun headed to the driver’s side of the car. Both men pulled out their flashlights and began to look around.

“Okay, what do we have here?” Taeyong murmured before Renjun noticed blood on the inside of the steering wheel.

“Hyung…” he started, making Taeyong look up as he pointed to the blood. Taeyong frowned.

“Is that ridge detail right there?” he asked.

“See what I can get off of it” Renjun replied. Taeyong nodded, just as a voice called out to him.

“Detective?” the voice called out.

“Yeah?” Taeyong replied as he stood up out of the car and looked over to see Jeongja walking towards him.

“His license” she stated, holding out a piece of paper to him. He took it and smirked as he looked at its contents.

“Here we go: Nick Murdock, 870 Worth St, Xuswiunia City, that's downtown right where his spit put him” he declared before he frowned and looked up at Renjun.

“I gotta go Renjun” he stated. Renjun raised an eyebrow.

“Are you gonna go?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yup! Murders happen here, but we have jurisdiction” he explained.

“If you call Xuswiunia homicide, they'll pick him up” Renjun stated. Taeyong gave him a look.

“Xuswiunia homicide didn't make a promise to Michelle Wilson” he reminded before he turned and walked off.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, up in Xuswiunia, there were at least four police cars surrounding a building, just as a fifth one pulled up. Once the car parked, the passenger side door opened and a tall young man with light skin, dark brown hair with dark turquoise highlights, and brown eyes stepped out, carrying a silver kit. As he walked towards the building, a tall young man with light skin, black hair, and brown eyes by the name of Detective Lee Jeno walked over to him.

“No surprising the world. See, our dead body's an undercover cop. Murdock, good guy. Newlywed. Just told his wife” he explained as they headed over to the building.

“No suspects. He was deep under cover, dealing to about 30 street guys. We think one of his junkies got wise, wasted” he continued before he opened up the gate, letting the tall man walk up the steps to the apartment first before he followed behind. Once inside, the tall man headed straight for the scene before he paused and turned around to face Jeno and the other officers inside the apartment.

“Alright, listen up. Thank you all for coming out here and showing your support. Obviously the situation is very secure, so do me a big favor and remove yourselves from the crime scene. Thank you” he ordered. Jeno and the other police officers nodded, turning and headed out of the apartment as the tall man headed over to the body, where a priest was praying over him.

“No rush, Father” he stated softly as the priest finished his prayer and left before looking over at one of the CSU officers at the scene.

“Temperature's ambient. He's been dead 24 plus. Smells like 72” he stated before he motioned to a wallet on the table.

“I got a wallet for you. ID's missing” he stated. The man hummed before he summoned a pair of gloves and slipped them on. He then reached out and grabbed the wallet, opening it up before flipping the third flap to reveal no ID, just like the officer said. As he was examining the wallet, he felt like someone was watching him, so he turned around to see Taeyong standing before him with his hands on his hips. When Taeyong made eye contact with him, both of their eyes widened.

“Jaehyun?!” Taeyong exclaimed.

“Taeyong? What are you doing here?” the tall man, Dr. Jung Jaehyun, Crime Scene Unit First Grade, asked as he stood to his feet. Taeyong shook his head before he cleared his throat.

“Two nights ago in Yadrioria, double murder case, married couple and I was…I was assuming that Murdock here was my suspect” he explained, motioning to the body by Jaehyun.

Jaehyun shook his head.

“Narco Unit. Think he was killed about three days ago. Strangled; probably a belt” he stated. Taeyong hummed and crossed his arms.

“So that could mean that my suspect killed Murdock, took his identity, went south, did my murders. It could also mean that we're chasing the same man” he mused. Jaehyun frowned as he put the wallet down and crossed his arms.

“What, you think he’s in Xuswiunia?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong just smiled slightly, making Jaehyun sigh.

“Well, one way or the other, everything's connected brought you to me” he mused.

“Trail ends here. I want first bite at prosecution. As you know, Yadrioria has the death penalty” Taeyong stated. 

“So does Xuswiunia” Jaehyun reminded, giving Taeyong a look. Taeyong chuckled and shook his head.

“Yes, but you haven’t executed since '76” he reminded. Jaehyun let out a groan.

“Politics” he grumbled. Taeyong then sighed before he looked into Jaehyun’s dark brown eyes.

“Jaehyun, I have…a sixteen year old girl who’s suddenly without both parents. I have promised her peace of mind” he explained. Jaehyun gave him another look.

“I got an officer's widow who'd like some answers” he countered. Taeyong nodded his head in agreement. Jaehyun was quiet before he sighed.

“Alright, we got a deal” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	58. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 4

“It’s good to see you Jaehyun” Taeyong stated once they had made their deal. Jaehyun smiled and nodded as he went to open up his kit.

“It’s good to see you too, Taeyong” he replied. 

“So, this is where you moved to when you went away for school?” Taeyong inquired, placing his hands on his hips. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yup” he replied.

“And then you decided to join the local police department?” Taeyong continued. Jaehyun nodded.

“Their criminal psychologist retired and they were looking for a new one, so once I was done with my doctorate program, I took up residency with the Xuswiunia Police Department” he explained. 

“I see you also got your badge” Taeyong stated.

“I did. The chief thought I would make a good detective, so he sent me to the academy to get my badge” Jaehyun explained. Taeyong hummed before he walked over to the other side of the table to get a good look at the body.

“Well, we know what our suspect looks like now” he mused.

“Enough like Murdock to pass through airport security” Jaehyun agreed as he pulled out a brown paper bag out of his kit. He then turned to look at the front of the apartment.

“Murdock answers the front door; guy follows him in here to do a buy” he theorized.

“Ready for us, Doctor?” transport officers suddenly called out from the front of the apartment. Jaehyun looked over at them and held up a finger.

“One more minute and he's all yours” he replied as he opened up the bag and placed it over the body’s left hand. As he was doing so, Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“That's interesting. We scrape before we transport” he explained.

“Yeah, well we always vibe safe at the scene. Different process, same principle” Jaehyun replied before he took out a portable fume rod.

“Ah, interesting. And you fume at the scene too” Taeyong stated.

“Did I hear somebody say fume? Cos then I'm your man” a voice called out, making Taeyong and Jaehyun turn to see a tall young man with light skin, midnight blue hair, and brown eyes with a silver kit in his hand walking towards them. Jaehyun frowned as the man got closer.

“Chenle, I had you at that Bodega in Astium” he reminded. The young man, Zhong Chenle, huffed, nodding as he stepped up into the kitchen where the body was.

“I know, but I heard a cop went down. Figured you could use a guy like me” he explained. Jaehyun chuffed.

“Sticking Felix with the Bodega?” he asked. Chenle smirked.

“Yeah, I got seniority over him” he replied before he glanced over at Taeyong.

“Who’s this?” he asked.

“He's an old friend of mine. From Yadrioria” Jaehyun replied as he placed another paper bag on the other hand of the body. Taeyong then reached out and shook Chenle’s hand.

“Zhong Chenle” Chenle introduced.

“Lee Taeyong. How are you?” Taeyong replied.

“Detective Lee’s helping us. Expecting to get some prints to confirm we're chasing the same guy” Jaehyun explained. Chenle nodded as he took Jaehyun’s fume rod and a pair of tweezers, grabbing the wallet and holding it up over the nozzle. He then looked over at Taeyong and smirked.

“I’d be careful, hyung. You don't want this getting on ya. Cleaning bill's a bitch” he explained as he let the fume gases glide over the wallet to reveal a fingerprint. 

“Looks like a partial whirl” he declared.

“Enough to start a search?” Jaehyun asked. Chenle glanced over at him and shrugged.

“Ah, we’ll see” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, after Chenle headed back to the lab to process the fingerprint, Taeyong and Jaehyun headed into the lab to check on process.

“So what common reference points do we have so far?” Chenle asked, talking on a headset to someone as Taeyong and Jaehyun walked over to him.

“Chenle, how are you making out?” Jaehyun asked.

“Good. Yadrioria got a partial on the car door. We're working that 9/11 enhancement software to pull it together” Chenle replied.

_“_ _Okay. Thumb's right delta is on the first recurve up above the divergent line”_ Renjun stated from where he was sitting at his desk down in Yadrioria.

“Let me give you a thumbs up” Chenle suggested, clicking on another partial to add to the partial that he collected from the scene. He then typed a few more keys on his computer, still waiting for AFIS to pull something up.

“Waiting for the whirl to stop” he continued before finally AFIS came up with something and he smiled.

“AFIS scan complete. Positive ID made. Thousand a week for life” he declared. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“David Penrod, aka D. Penrod aka Dave Pem. Grand theft auto, possession and trafficking” he read aloud.

“Last known address?” Jaehyun asked.

“489 East 112th Street” Chenle replied.

“Call homicide” Jaehyun ordered before he tapped Taeyong’s arm, both men headed out of the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

After Jaehyun and Taeyong left the lab, they, Jeno, and two more officers headed to the address that Chenle had pulled up for them at the lab, guns drawn. Once they were inside the building, Jeno headed for David Pendrod’s door and banged on it; eyes narrow with determination.

“Police! Open up!” he called out. When the five men heard the sound of a window sliding open, Taeyong nodded at Jeno.

“Go” he ordered. Jeno then busted down the door with his foot, allowing Taeyong and Jaehyun to rush into the apartment, only to find their suspect climbing out of the window and up the ladder to the room.

“Runnin Jae. He's running!” Taeyong shouted. Jaehyun growled and rushed over to the open window, poking his head out.

“Up we go” Taeyong declared.

“Fuck” Jaehyun swore before he holstered his gun and climbed out of the window, beginning to climb the ladder.

~*~*~*~*~

Up on the roof, Dave was running for his life, glancing over his shoulder every now and then.

He raced across one roof before leaping across the small gap to the other building, much to the shock of Jeno and his officers down below. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Jaehyun and Taeyong made it to the top of the roof and quickly ran after Dave, Jaehyun easily bounding over the gap to the other apartment while Taeyong just shook his head.

“Freaking superhuman” he grumbled before he took a deep breath and leapt over the gap to the other building, running over to Jaehyun just in time to see Dave standing on the ledge of the building.

“DAVE!” Taeyong shouted, making Dave look back at the both of them.

“Don’t do it” Jaehyun exclaimed. Dave continued to stare at them before he jumped off the building, much to Jaehyun and Taeyong’s shock.

“Son of a bitch!” Jaehyun shouted as he and Taeyong raced to the edge of the building, only to find that Dave landed safely in a large garbage can full of cardboard boxes. They then watched as Dave climbed out of the can and hobble quickly across the many lanes of traffic to safety.

“Damn it” Taeyong swore as Jaehyun summoned a walkie-talkie.

“Put out a broadcast. Suspect at large. First precinct, Sector Charlie. Three-story drop. He might have broken something” he stated before he snapped his fingers, making the walkie disappear. He and Taeyong stared at Dave for a moment before he shook his head.

“Crazy son of a bitch” he murmured. Taeyong rolled his eyes before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“Not as crazy as you, you freaking superhuman. Who just easily bounds over buildings like no tomorrow?” he exclaimed. Jaehyun smiled.

“Someone with long legs?” he replied.

“Or someone with no preservation skills” Taeyong grumbled before he motioned to the way that they came.

“Come on, let’s go see what our runner left behind” he declared. Jaehyun nodded and made a motion with his hand.

“After you” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back inside the apartment, Jaehyun and Taeyong split up; Taeyong hitting the man’s bedroom while Jaehyun hit the kitchen. In the kitchen, Jaehyun summoned a pair of gloves and put them on before he grabbed his flashlight out of his pocket and clicked it on, shining over the sink area when he noticed that there was something in the drainage cap that looked like blood. He then turned to his kit and pulled out a long sterile Q-tip, opening up the packaging before using it to take a sample of the substance. He then took out a small capsule device and placed the covered tip into it, making sure that the substance was absorbed before he removed the tip and closed the capsule before squeezing it, breaking the two sides so that the solution and the sample would mix and if it turned blue, it would confirm his theory that the substance was blood. When the capsule turned blue, just like he thought it would, he smirked. Blood.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Taeyong put on gloves of his own and flicked on his own flashlight and looked around, noticing a dresser in the corner of the room. He walked over to it and pulled open the dresser drawer, noticing a plane ticket for Maybach Air. He pulled it out and held the flashlight up to the cover, noticing that there was writing on it that read: 702 Star Island.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong had finished examining the suspect’s bedroom, he headed outside and waited for Jaehyun, who arrived not too long after holding up his blue capsule. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Hematrace” he stated. Jaehyun nodded.

“Drains are the conscience of the city” he explained.

“Found blood?” Taeyong asked. 

“Lots of it. You wanna know the scary thing?” Jaehyun asked. Taeyong shrugged.

“Shoot” he replied.

“The blood on the fixture was wet” Jaehyun stated. Taeyong hummed.

“So it's fresh” he deadpanned. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yeah, too fresh for your Yadrioria murders or my cops. I'll get this to the lab. What did you get?” he asked. Taeyong smirked as he showed Jaehyun the plane ticket.

“Break in the case. Our victims were at 720 Star Island, Penrod jotted down 702” he stated. Jaehyun’s eyes widened.

“He hit the wrong house?” he exclaimed. Taeyong nodded.

“He hit the wrong house” he confirmed.

“Who was with the right house?” Jaehyun demanded.

“Let’s find out” Taeyong replied as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number before putting the phone on speaker.

_“_ _Qian”_ Kun answered from his office in Yadrioria.

“Kun, I need a welfare check on 702 Star Island owner of record please” Taeyong asked.

_“_ _Reverse directory says OR of 702 Star Island is Michael Hanover Sr. Primary residence: 1526 5 th Ave, Xuswiunia City”_ Kun replied.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked before he ended the call and looked over at Jaehyun.

“Michael Hanover,1526 5th Avenue” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	59. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 5

After leaving the dirty apartment, Jaehyun and Taeyong headed to where Michael Hanover lived.

“They aren't answering. They always answer” the doorman, Kevin Dowell, explained as he listened to the unanswered ringing on the landline. Jaehyun and Taeyong hummed before the doorman showed them to the elevator and told them which floor the Hanover’s lived on. When they arrived, Jaehyun stepped through the door first, Taeyong following behind.

“Hello? Police” Jaehyun called out. When neither man heard anything, they walked further down the lavish hallway and up the stairs to the huge living room.

“Is anyone here?” Taeyong called out. Again, neither man heard an answer before Jaehyun spotted blood drops on the floor. He then looked over at Taeyong and motioned him over, pointing down to the blood drops before pointing to the hallway that the drops led to. Taeyong then pulled his gun out of his holster, Jaehyun doing the same as both men quiet crept down the hallway until they came to the bedroom, where they found an older woman dressed in her pajamas with a knife sticking out of her chest.

“Well, her throat’s slit…” Taeyong started before he noticed the knife in her chest.

“…and there's the knife” he finished. Jaehyun then looked over at the multiple pill bottles on her bedside table and hummed.

“She had a habit” he declared. Taeyong nodded as he placed his gun back in his holster.

“That explains why she didn't fight back” he mused.

“Where’s the husband?” Jaehyun inquired.

“Where’s the study?” Taeyong replied. The two men then headed down the hall to where they thought the study was and when they opened the door, they found a man sitting in his chair, his throat sliced.

“Now this seems strangely familiar” Taeyong murmured.

“Knife's in mom, dad bought it first” Jaehyun stated as he walked over to the body.

“Mr. Penrod got this family's sleeping arrangements down, didn't he?” Taeyong asked, just as there was a thud a few doors down from them. Taeyong’s eyes widened and he looked over at Jaehyun, frowning.

“Did you hear that?” he asked, quickly pulling his gun out of his holster again.

“Where's that coming from?” he continued as Jaehyun pulled his gun out as well.

“Back room” Jaehyun replied. Taeyong nodded and both he and Jaehyun quickly exited the study and walked down the hall to another bedroom, where it’s door was slightly ajar. Taeyong pushed it open with the barrel of his gun, only to find a young man with multiple stab wounds in his back.

“Shit!” Taeyong exclaimed, running over to the young man and kneeling down next to him, leaning down near his mouth to hear very shallow breathing.

“He’s still breathing!” he shouted. Jaehyun quickly summoned his walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button.

“CSI 2433 to central okay?” he snapped.

 _“Central, go ahead”_ a woman’s voice replied over the walkie.

“I need a bus forth with at 1526 Hanover residence. I have a male stabbed, put a rush on it, okay?” Jaehyun ordered as Taeyong kept his hand on the man’s neck, making sure that he could feel the man’s pulse.

“Stay with us” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, an ambulance soon arrived and paramedics rushed the young man out on a gurney, just as reporters began to swarm the residence on both sides, having to be stopped by police officers. Before the paramedics put the young man in the ambulance, a tall young man with light skin, cyna blue hair, and brown eyes carrying a camera rushed over to them.

“Okay guys, hold up, hold up. Just need a couple shots to the entry wounds” he stated as he removed the blanket covering the young man’s back and snapped a couple of shots of the wound.

“Life saving measures over evidence Na” one of the paramedics snapped. The young man, Na Jaemin, looked up at him and glared as he placed the blanket back.

“Look, what I'm doing may prevent another attempt on his life, okay?” he snapped back before he looked at the young man.

“Hang in there, buddy” he bid. Meanwhile, Jaehyun was walking past some reporters towards Jaemin and as he was walking towards him, a reporter called out to him.

“Dr. Jung. Dr. Jung. Is this like the Dumbo massacre?” she asked. Jaehyun glanced back at her but refused to answer as he continued walking.

“What about Penrod? Is he still at large?” the reporter continued.

“Davi Penrod, how did she get that?” Jaemin asked as he walked over to Jaehyun. Jaehyun huffed.

“Xuswiunia. You'd think that it's news. Ticking clock's begotten. You ready for this?” he asked as he and Jaemin headed back inside the building.

“Oh yeah. Where's your friend?” Jaemin asked.

“Not now, Jaemin” Jaehyun scolded. 

“Sorry hyung” Jaemin replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back inside the apartment, Jaemin and Jaehyun headed for the study first. 

“Blonde” Jaehyun declared as he picked up a single piece of hair from chair where Mr. Hanover was sitting.

“What color is the wife's hair?” Jaemin asked as he stood up and handed Jaehyun an evidence bag.

“Brunette” Jaehyun replied as he placed the hair inside it. Jaemin hummed.

“Maybe dad had a visitor” he stated as he sealed the evidence and placed it back in his kit. While he was looking for one of his tools, Jaehyun shone his flashlight over the chair and came upon something in the bottom right hand corner of the seat.

“Bob Fosse's life story” he declared, making Jaemin look over at him.

“All the jazz” he declared as he grabbed his camera and took a picture of it.

“Semen” Jaehyun agreed.

“Old man with a stud” Jaemin mused as he snapped a few more photos.

“So, mom's in the bedroom, knocked out on Percocet—” Jaehyun started as Jaemin put down his camera and looked up at him.

“Yep, and dad's in the study with a candle stick” he declared as he stood to his feet and pulled out a pen and notepad.

“Only one way to put out his fire” he teased. Jaehyun smirked.

“Blow” he agreed before the smile faded from his mouth and replaced it with a frown. Jaemin looked up and noticed his boss’s change in demeanor so he raised an eyebrow at him.

“You think the bimbo's connected?” he asked. Jaehyun glanced over at him and nodded.

“Yeah in Venezi-ano's theory of quantum physics, everything's connected. Just have to find out how. Have DNA look for a tag” he instructed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	60. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 6

“When was the last time you saw Hanovers?” Jaemin asked, standing before Kevin Dowell, the doorman, whom he had called upstairs to the apartment.

“When I unloaded the limo yesterday afternoon. They came back from Yadrioria, the next thing I know, police are swarming the building” Kevin explained. Jaemin nodded before he cleared his throat.

“Okay, well, fire code says there's a back door here. I can't seem to find it” he stated. Kevin nodded.

“Uh, yeah, it’s hidden” he explained, pointing behind him. Jaemin raised an eyebrow before he gave Kevin a look.

“Why don't you try unhiding it?” he suggested. Kevin smiled nervously before he nodded and led Jaemin over to a wall panel, which he pushed on to reveal a hidden back door, just like he said. Jaemin then walked forward, summoning a pair of gloves that he slipped on before he walked into the hidden door, feeling it up and down.

“You need a key?” he asked, looking back at Kevin.

“Yes” Kevin replied as Jaemin summoned a flashlight and clicked it on, shining it down on the lock.

“You got one?” he asked.

“Yes, and the Hanovers have three” Kevin replied. Jaemin hummed as he stepped back into the apartment, shining his flashlight over the door.

“I'm gonna need yours” he stated.

“I already gave mine to the homicide detective. Should I go ask him?” Kevin asked. Jaemin shook his head.

“No, that's alright, I'll take care of it” he replied as he squatted down, noticing a blood swipe on the door.

“Did you see anybody go out here last night?” he asked, glancing up at Kevin. Kevin shook his head.

“No, I have to stay in front of the building. God forbid a tenant should have to open their own door” he explained. Jaemin smirked and nodded.

“That's good enough, thanks” he thanked. Kevin nodded and walked away, just as Jaehyun and Chenle walked over to him.

“Hey, I've got a blood swipe. Looks like the killer's exit. Maybe entrance too” he explained.

“I'll process the door and stairs” Chenle stated, walking into the secret doorway.

“Look for anything that isn't from Hanover or Penrod” Jaehyun ordered. Chenle nodded as he ran his fingers and flashlight over the door.

“No forced entry” he declared.

“Pop the lock. Take it apart. See if it was picked” Jaehyun instructed before he looked over at Jaemin.

“Follow up on the keys, somebody got in here somehow” he ordered. Jaemin and Chenle nodded as Jaehyun turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

After removing the lock from the secret door, Chenle went back to the lab and dismantled it, taking it apart piece by piece. As he was taking it apart, he noticed something inside the lock itself, so he took it out with a pair of tweezers and placed it underneath a microscope, noticing that there were orange flecks on the metal.

“How's our secret door? Was it picked?” Jaemin asked as he walked over to Chenle, who shook his head.

“No scratches inside the lock, all markings are consistent with key use only” he replied before he huffed.

“You know, if there are nine rats for every person living in Xuswiunia, there's gotta be at least five keys per head” he stated.

“Apartment door, car door—” he continued. Jaemin rolled his eyes.

“Lock at the gym. Yeah, I got the picture. Fast forward” he instructed. Chenle smirked as he looked up at him.

“But there are only a few alloys used to make keys. New duplicate keys are all coated in red acrylic now. And that's what these shavings are. A duplicate was used to get in here, and shavings were left behind” he declared. Jaemin nodded slowly.

“Right, so it was the last one in. Any other disturbances?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Pristine” Chenle replied. Jaemin was quiet before he huffed.

“Penrod didn't just have help; it was an inside job” he mused. Chenle looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“How you figure?” he asked.

“Well you've got four masters, right? Somebody's gotta be really close to the Hanovers and the doorman to get one and get it duped” Jaemin explained.

“And I need those masters” Chenle declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at the medical examiner’s office, Jaehyun walked up the stairs and into the morgue, where a tall young man with light skin, black hair with blonde highlights, and brown eyes was working on some paperwork.

“Jisung. So glad I could get an appointment” Jaehyun called out, making the man, Dr. Park Jisung, turn around and look at him.

“Mayor's office called, put in a word for you, hyung” Jisung explained as he walked away from his paperwork and over to Jaehyun, who was hanging up his coat on the coat rack.

“Figures. What's TOD?” he asked as he walked over to the body that was laying out on one of the tables. Jisung looked at his clipboard that he had brought from his desk and hummed.

“The victims have been dead since about four this morning” he stated before he put down the clipboard and pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket, slipping them on before he began to touch the body.

“Xuswiunia, Yadrioria stab wounds are similar in both manner and location. However, one of the Yadrioria victims was nearly decapitated. Killer showed more restraint with the Hanovers” he explained. Jaehyun huffed as he summoned his own pair of gloves and slipped them on.

“We're aware of that. Anything else?” he asked.

“Turns out Mike Hanover has a heart after all. Well, he did. A strong one. Withstood a massive myocardial infarction. Scar tissue indicates it happened within the last year but his heart disease was progressive. I'm not sure how many more years he had” Jisung stated. Jaehyun nodded, taking in the information before he looked at Jisung.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“His crotch” Jisung replied, making Jaehyun raise an eyebrow. Jisung then motioned him over to his side, handing him a pair of protective glasses to protect his eyes from the UV-light before he turned off the over-head lamp and turned on the UV-light, lifting the sheet as he shone the light on the body’s crotch. Jaehyun frowned before he reached over to the medical tray and picked up a swab, using it to wipe off some of the residue that was on the man’s crotch.

“I have heard of having the blues, but this is ridiculous” Jisung declared as Jaehyun held up the swab to reveal the head glowing bright blue underneath the UV-light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	61. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 7

After he left the morgue, Jaehyun sent the swab back to his lab, where one of his technicians, Lee Felix, took a piece of the swab, let it soak in some solution, then used a micropipette to suck up the solution and place it in a centrifuge container, screwing on the top. He then walked over to the centrifuge and placed the bottle in with all the other bottles, pressing a few buttons on the machine before pressing “start”. He waited a little while as the machine was doing its thing and while he was waiting, Jaehyun walked over to him.

“Felix” he called out, making him look over at him.

“Hey” he replied before he smiled.

“Thanks for letting me work trace on this” he thanked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Do a bodega for Chenle, should be able to touch a big case like this” he replied before he crossed his arms.

“Figured out what had Mr. Hanover so blue?” he asked, just as the machine printed out its findings. Felix then walked over to it and took out the results sheet, staring at it.

“Propylene glycol dicocoate, alcohol benzoate, ozocerite. High concentration of titanium dioxide, iron dioxide. Cosmetic makeup” he replied.

“High pigment?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow. Felix looked up from the results and smirked.

“Practically opaque” he replied. Jaehyun was quiet before he realized what kind of makeup it was.

“Stage makeup” he declared. Felix nodded.

“Mm-hmm. So whoever hit her knees was probably in a play” he stated. Jaehyun nodded before he smiled at Felix.

“Thanks” he thanked as he turned and headed out of the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Felix, Jaehyun grabbed Jaemin and headed down to one of the theatres where “Rainbow” was playing. They then walked over to one of the women who they saw wearing a hell of a lot of blue makeup.

“Homicide says that this is the only show that isn't dark on Mondays, and I see you're the only one of the cast of Rainbow that wears the blue make up” Jaehyun stated after he and Jaemin introduced themselves.

“And your artistic director tells us that you were in a relationship with Michael Hanover Senior?” Jaemin asked, sitting down in one of the seats next to the young woman.

“Am I under arrest?” the young woman asked as she removed her makeup.

“Depends on what you tell us” Jaehyun replied from where he was leaning up against the wall next to the woman’s makeup station.

“Look, all I know is what I hear on the news” the woman replied, glancing up at Jaehyun.

“Maybe we can help you know more” Jaehyun stated as he summoned a manila folder, which he opened to reveal a photo of a blonde strand of hair against a black evidence backdrop.

“See this hair? This was taken from the chair that Mike Handover was killed in. We take a DNA sample, will it match your hair?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. The young woman sighed heavily.

“What do you want me to say, "I was there"? I was there” she snapped. Jaemin nodded.

“Oh, we know where you were. Your make up put you south of his border” he replied, smirking slightly. The young woman paused and looked at Jaemin with wide eyes before she swallowed.

“Oh…that. I was trying to wind things down with Mike. That was just a parting gift” she explained before she looked up at Jaehyun.

“I cabbed after the show used his key to the back door. I did my thing, gave him the time of his life. I left around 3 o'clock?” she stated. Jaehyun hummed.

“Maybe you let Davi Penrod in the secret doorway on your way out?” he suggested. The young woman frowned.

“Who's Davi Penrod?” she asked before she shook her head.

“Look, Mike told me there'd be other shows down the line, said he'd even back a play I wrote. Why would I have any part in killing him?” she asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“We don't know. We'd like the key you used last night” he stated.

“And the clothes you wore” Jaemin added. The young woman frowned before she shrugged and reached towards her mirror, grabbing her key off a hook and handing it to Jaehyun, which he took very carefully.

~*~*~*~*~

Once they had gotten the clothes and the key, Jaehyun and Jaemin headed back to the lab, both of them wearing protective UV-glasses, lab coats, and gloves as Jaemin ran a UV-light over the clothes.

“No blood. Nothing's absorbing” he grumbled.

“Yet” Jaehyun reminded before a thought popped into his head and he looked over at Jaemin.

“Where's Detective Lee?” he asked.

“Oh, he's with homicide. They got a call. Someone spotted Penrod in a clinic in Amisas, trying to get his leg set” Jaemin replied, making Jaehyun straighten as he continued to run the UV-light over the clothes until he found something on the underwear.

“Okay, I've got biological fluid. And it ain't blood” he declared. Jaehyun hummed and nodded.

“Alright, let’s trace that and see what we get” he instructed.

~*~*~*~*~

After running trace on the underwear, Jaehyun took the results and rushed to the hospital, walking over to where Taeyong was standing before a hospital room, looking inside the window.

“No luck with Penrod?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, he realized that the nurse made him, so he bolted before we arrived. What’d you get?” he asked, titling his head. Jaehyun opened up the manila folder that he was carrying and showed it to Taeyong.

“Processed the dancer's clothes. Semen's not a match to Michael Hanover” he stated.

Taeyong hummed as he took the results sheet and looked at it.

“But the alleles are matched to each of the thirteen loci. Which means Renee slept with another male Hanover” he declared as he and Jaehyun both turned to look back into the window of the hospital room, where Michael Hanover Jr. was resting in a hospital bed.

“And there's only one of those” Jaehyun stated.

“And he's right in there” Taeyong added. Jaehyun huffed as he crossed his arms.

“She's reason enough; the guy would want dad out of the way” he mused. 

“And that is motive in any state” Taeyong declared before he turned and walked away, motioning for Jaehyun to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	62. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - Part 8

Once they got permission from a doctor to speak to Michael, both Taeyong and Jaehyun stepped inside the hospital room to ask him a few questions.

“Did your father know you were sleeping with his mistress?” Jaehyun asked as he stood on one side of the bed and Taeyong stood on the other.

“She's not his mistress. She's my girlfriend” Michael croaked.

“Is that why you killed your dad? 'Cause you caught them together?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow. When Michael didn’t answer, Jaehyun sighed.

“Are you aware last night they shared an act of an intimate nature?” he inquired. 

“I knew. Look, he didn't care about Renee, he was always lying to her about helping her career. I care about her” Michael replied.

“Michael, how did somebody like you end up with your dad's mistress? How does that switch take place?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I saw her crying, for the twentieth time, about how he treated her. I was a shoulder for her” Michael explained.

“How long were you sneaking around your dad's back?” Jaehyun asked, crossing his arms.

“A couple of months. We were trying to come up with a way to tell him” Michael replied.

“Sure you didn't tell him last night?” Jaehyun asked, giving him a look. Michael glared at him.

“No. Look I didn't kill my dad” he snapped.

“We want the keys to the back door” Jaehyun ordered. Michael looked over at his jeans, making Taeyong and Jaehyun look as well. Taeyong then walked over to the chair where Michael’s clothes were and plucked the key out of his pocket, just as a man with a briefcase walked in, noticing both doctor and detective.

“Hello, what are you doing here? You know you can't talk to him. Both of you, out!” he snapped as he walked over to the hospital bed to stand next to Michael.

“My client suffered a terrible loss” he explained.

“And about to inherit half of Xuswiunia, I understand. Michael, as it turns out is the prime beneficiary of his father's estate. Correct?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow as he slipped the key into his pants pocket.

“Homicide tells me that they're trying to get hold of the old mans' will” Jaehyun added. The lawyer shook his head.

“It's not possible. I filed a motion for protective order” he stated.

“And how about you show us junior's stab wounds?” Jaehyun suggested.

“Why?” Michael asked.

“To see if you or your girlfriend cut you for show” Jaehyun explained. The lawyer looked at him in shock.

“Excuse me, my client is a victim, and is to be treated as such” he snapped.

“Then you wouldn't mind letting us see the injury” Jaehyun replied. 

“He wouldn't, I would. There's the door” the lawyer declared, pointing to the door behind Jaehyun and Taeyong. Taeyong and Jaehyun said nothing before they turned and headed out of the hospital room, annoyance on both men’s faces.

“Other ways to check his wounds” Jaehyun reminded. Taeyong nodded.

“I'll be at the morgue” he declared.

“I'll be on Jaemin’s photos” Jaehyun replied.

“Good” Taeyong declared before he and Jaehyun parted ways.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the lab, Jaemin walked over to Chenle and placed his hands on his hips.

“So did you get a hit on the master keys, Lele?” he asked. Chenle nodded.

“Got all four right here. Mom, dad, junior, and the door man. Found machine marks on one of them; it was definitely copied” he stated. Jaemin smirked.

“Let me guess, the door man?” he asked. Chenle shook his head.

"Sorry, door number four: the key belonging to Mrs. Hanover” he replied. Jaemin frowned.

“What?” he exclaimed. Chenle nodded.

“Mmhm. Evans Gretchen found it in her bag, in her room. Look” he instructed, motioning to his microscope. Jaemin quickly looked into the eye-pieces and noticed that there were indeed scratch marks on the key.

“Scratches are from the dupe machine. Someone made of a copy of this key. The dupe was definitely used to get in the back door the night of the murders” Chenle explained as Jaemin pulled away from the microscope.

“I don't get it. How does a monster like Penrod get involved with Mrs. Hanover?” he grumbled. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the morgue, Taeyong was standing before Mrs. Hanover, comparing the photos from Yadrioria to the victims before him.

“Okay, that's mom let me see dad please” he asked. 

“What are we looking for?” Jisung asked as he opened up the other freezer containing Mr. Hanover Sr.

“We’re looking for hilt mark bruising” Taeyong replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Jaehyun’s lab, Jaehyun placed the pictures of Mr. Hanover Sr., Mrs. Hanover, the wound on Mrs. Hanover’s neck, the pictures of the puncture wounds that Jaemin took of Michael Hanover Jr., and an up-close picture of the puncture wound.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the morgue, Jisung pulled Mr. Hanover Sr. out of his freezer and pulled back the sheet so that Taeyong could compare the puncture wounds.

“So we've got bruising on dad, but none on Michael Jr.” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

In the lab, Jaehyun placed down the rest of the crime scene photos before picking up a picture of Michael Jr.’s back and a picture of Michael Sr.’s torso, noticing that the puncture wounds didn’t match, as Michael Sr.’s wounds had hilt bruising and Michael Jr.’s wounds didn’t. As he continued to stare at the photos, it dawned on him that what he was looking at was two different weapons. Once he realized that fact, he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number, placing it to his ear.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the morgue, Taeyong was still standing by Michael Sr.’s body when his phone buzzed, so he pulled it out and answered it.

“Hello?” he answered.

 _“You seeing what I'm seeing?”_ Jaehyun demanded on the other line.

“Uh-huh” Taeyong replied.

 _“Hilt marks on the parents, no hilt marks on the son. Junior was stabbed with a different knife”_ Jaehyun declared.

“Two knives and two attackers, huh?” Taeyong mused.

 _“And we've only got one knife”_ Jaehyun reminded. Taeyong hummed as he continued to look at the body before him.

“I'm gonna go back to Amisas and look for Penrod, okay? You keep me posted” he instructed.

 _“Will do”_ Jaehyun replied before he hung up. Taeyong then put his phone away before he looked up at Jisung, flashing him a small smile.

“Thank you” he thanked as he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the lab, Jaehyun put his phone away before he looked up at Chenle.

“I think there's another knife at the Hanover residence” he declared. Chenle looked up at him and shook his head.

“No. I'm telling you hyung; we took the place apart” he stated. Jaehyun was quiet before he turned and headed out of the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	63. Case 9: YAD/XUS Nonstop - CASE CLOSED

After Jaehyun left the lab, he headed back to the Hanover residence and walked around a little bit before he walked over to the elevator and nodded at the guard who was standing there. The guard nodded as he popped a stick of gum in his mouth before pressing the elevator button. The elevator soon arrived with a “ding” and as the door opened, the guard rolled up the aluminum foil package and dropped it down the space between the elevator and the door, making Jaehyun frown. The guard gulped at the frown and stood completely still inside of the elevator as Jaehyun walked forward and knelt down to look between space. As he looked down the space, it gave him an idea, so he quickly got into the elevator and headed downstairs, using his permission to gain access to the elevator shaft. While he was looking around with his flashlight, he noticed something silver with a bloodied tip, so he knelt down and summoned a glove, using it to pick up what looked like a sleek letter opener. He stared at it for a minute before he looked away and continued to search around the bottom of the shaft, noticing what looked like a tassel, like the kind that the doorman had on his suit jacket.

“Found you” Jaehyun murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

After finding the bloody letter opener and the tassel, Jaehyun called Kevin down to a room with a table and two chairs to talk to him. Once Kevin was sitting before him, Jaehyun grabbed the evidence bag containing the bloody letter opener.

“Found this in the elevator shaft. There's no hilt, which means it doesn't leave a mark” he explained.

“Anybody could have stabbed him” Kevin replied, shaking his head. Jaehyun gave him a look.

“When our lab tests the blood on your uniform, and it matches Michael Jr.’s, that anyone becomes you. Specificity of DNA. You got back on the elevator, and dropped this down the shaft. Unfortunately for you, you dropped something else” he stated as he put down the evidence bag containing the bloody letter opener and pulled out an evidence bag containing the tassel.

“Do you mind holding up your arms please?” he asked. Kevin was quiet before he lifted up his arms, revealing one sleeve with a tassel and one sleeve without one.

“Missing tassel” Jaehyun declared as he placed the evidence bag where the tassel should have been.

“I imagine when you were wiping the blood off, the tassel was severed” he continued as he pulled the bag away and placed it down on the table. Kevin then sighed as he placed his arms down while Jaehyun grabbed a manila folder and opened it.

“You're the only door man in Michael Hanover senior's last will and testament. Lawyers released it after we picked you up. There's interesting thing here on page 51: _“for saving my life by administering emergency CPR when I sustained a heart attack, keeping me alive until the paramedics arrived. I leave the sum of one million dollars to Kevin Dowell, payable in full, upon my death”_ ” he read aloud before placing the folder down and looking into Kevin’s eyes.

“Only, you got impatient, tried to speed up the process. So you had Hanover killed. That brings us to Penrod. A monster like him, what's his connection to a hardworking guy like you?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Jeno, Taeyong, and a few of Jeno’s officers quietly crept down the hall in a fancy hotel in Amisas, guns drawn and ready to shoot.

~*~*~*~*~

“Every good door man needs a dealer. He's been mine for ten years. Drugs, women, every kind of kink, you name it” Kevin replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the hotel, once they found the right room, Taeyong burst the door in, gun in front of him as he stormed into the room, making David Penrod shoot to his feet from where he was sitting in front of the television with his hands in the air. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Gotta keep the tenants happy. There's nothing Penrod won't do” Kevin continued.

“For a price” Jaehyun added. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the hotel room, Taeyong reached into Penrod’s pockets and pulled out a key ring with three keys on it.

~*~*~*~*~

“I don't know what you're talking about” Penrod declared to Taeyong as he sat before him in a conference room that the apartment building had.

“I'm talking about murder and conspiracy to commit murder” Taeyong replied as he slid a sealed evidence bag over to Penrod that contained the Maybach Airline ticket.

~*~*~*~*~

“That low life was an undercover Xuswiunia City police officer. You couldn’t have drawn more attention if you’d sent up a flare” Jaehyun stated to Kevin back in his own interrogation room down on the bottom floor.

~*~*~*~*~

“You flew down to Yadrioria, and you killed the wrong family. 702 is not 720. You're dyslexic, aren't you?” Taeyong asked, tilting his head at Penrod, who just glared at him.

~*~*~*~*~

“Bet you had a heart attack when Hanovers drove up back in Xuswiunia” Jaehyun sneered.

~*~*~*~*~

“The doorman was smart enough not to dupe you one of his own keys” Taeyong stated to Penrod as he slid another evidence bag, this one containing Mrs. Hanover’s key, over to the man.

“You went up to the Hanovers and started killing them. You were a little more relaxed this time” he continued, glaring at the low life before him.

~*~*~*~*~

“But you couldn't stay out front, could you?” Jaehyun demanded, glaring at Kevin.

~*~*~*~*~

“You needed Junior to stay alive, to throw suspicion off yourself” Taeyong growled, continuing to glare at Penrod.

~*~*~*~*~

“And it worked. Till the evidence told us different story” Jaehyun declared.

~*~*~*~*~

After the two interrogations, Taeyong and Jaehyun led Penrod and Kevin Dowell out of the apartment building with officers surrounding them as new reporters crowded in from both sides. Jaehyun led Kevin to one car while Taeyong led Penrod to another while across the street, a limo stopped and Michael Hanover Jr. got out, looking to see what was going on. Once the perpetrators were in custody, Taeyong hung back while Jaehyun walked over to one of the reporters that had run up to him.

“Dr. Jung? Dr. Jung? Dr. Jung? Dr. Jung? Dr. Jung?” the reporter asked multiple times, but Jaehyun didn’t hear him as he looked back to see Taeyong smiling at him, giving him a small wave. Jaehyun smiled and held up a hand before he turned to the reporter, who was still trying to get his attention.

“Dr. Jung? Is there any one thing that helped you to break this case?” the reporter asked. 

“I just want to say one word to my friend” Jaehyun replied before he turned around, a smile on his face, only to find that Taeyong had disappeared into thin air. Jaehyun frowned and looked around, trying to see where the man had gone, but he couldn’t find him. As he was looking around, Chenle came out of the apartment building, so Jaehyun walked over to him, ignoring the reporter who was still trying to get a statement.

“Jaehyun hyung” Chenle greeted. Jaehyun smiled.

“Hey” he replied. Chenle then motioned with his chin to the limo across the street.

“Recognize those getaway sticks?” he asked, making Jaehyun turn to see the young woman from the theatre in the limo reaching out for Michael Jr. His eyes widened before he shook his head.

“Renee. Junior inherits half a billion and his dad's mistress” he mused. Chenle huffed.

“Yeah, it's the stuff Xuswiunia legends are made of” he agreed before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“Where’s Detective Lee?” he asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Must’ve gone home” he replied with a shrug. 

“You gonna miss him?” Chenle asked, raising an eyebrow. Jaehyun was quiet before he shrugged.

“Maybe” he replied before he turned and headed back inside. Chenle rolled his eyes before he turned and followed after him.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back in Yadrioria, at a burial held at a cemetery, Michelle and the rest of her extended family were standing before two new grave plots where her parents were going to be buried. As she stared at the two coffins before her, she felt like someone was staring at her, so she turned around to see Taeyong standing there, dressed in a black suit. Michelle’s eyes widened, a look of hope on her face, so Taeyong just smiled and nodded, fulfilling his promise to her that the next time he saw her face, she would be safe.

_“_ _Thank you”_ Michelle mouthed. Taeyong nodded again, making Michelle let out a breath of relief as she turned around to focus back on her parent’s burial. Taeyong then turned around and placed his hands on his hips, standing guard over the burial, making sure that Michelle would be safe and that nothing would hurt her.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	64. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another blast to the past case! This case happens a couple months after the last case

It was a hot summer day as Donghyuck was driving through the Everglades, enjoying the scenery, when he looked over to see a car half submerged in the water. His eyes widened in horror and he quickly stopped the car, getting out to see if he could get a better look. When he was positive that there was a car in the water, he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

“Hello? Yes, I’m in the Everglades and I discovered a submerged car. Please send a tow truck” he asked. A little while later, a tow truck arrived with an unmarked police car following behind it. As the tow truck went to go extract the car from the water, two young police officers exited the car, Detective Lee Taeyong, and Taeyong’s partner, Detective Ji Hansol. The two men then walked over to Donghyuck, Hansol shaking hands with him first.

“Hansol hyung” Donghyuck greeted before he smiled at Taeyong.

“Nice to see you, Taeyong hyung” he greeted. Taeyong smiled as he shook Donghyuck’s hand.

“Nice to see you too, Donghyuck. Appreciate the call. Got me out of the office” he explained. Donghyuck chuckled.

“Anything to help” he replied. Taeyong then cleared his throat.

“So, how’d you find the car?” he asked. 

“Just going out for a drive when I saw” Donghyuck answered. Hansol huffed when he heard Donghyuck’s answer.

“Why couldn’t you have found a big bag of unmarked cash, Donghyuck?” he teased. Donghyuck smirked.

“Sorry hyung, didn’t realize I was supposed to be looking for that” he replied as the tow truck removed the car from the water. As the water poured out of the car, Donghyuck, Hansol, and Taeyong noticed blood pooling underneath it, making all of their eyes widened before Hansol looked over at one of the tow truck workers.

“Open the trunk” he ordered. One of the workers nodded and pressed the trunk button, wondering if it was open and found that it was. When they opened the trunk up even wider, Donghyuck let out a gasp and quickly covered his mouth while Taeyong and Hansol studied the body that was inside.

“Minimal decomp. No more than 24 hours. What do you think? Drowned?” Hansol asked, looking over at Taeyong, who summoned a pair of gloves before reaching inside the trunk to turn the body’s, a young woman’s, head. 

“She's been shot. This isn't our primary. It's a secondary” he stated. Hansol nodded.

“I’ll run the plates. Get an ID” he stated as he walked back to the police car while Donghyuck walked over to Taeyong, curiosity in his eyes.

“Somebody shot her here?” he asked, eyeing the body up and down. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, Donghyuck. This is a body dump. She was shot elsewhere” he explained patiently. Donghyuck frowned.

“How do you know it's a body dump?” he asked. Taeyong then motioned to some blue and purple splotches on the woman’s left leg.

“See this bruising right here? Bruising happens when gravity pools the blood at the spot closest to the ground” he explained before he carefully lifted up the woman’s dress to show darker bruising on her thigh.

“And if you notice this bruising right here, it's called double lividity. It means that she was on her back, until she was shifted to a side” he continued. Donghyuck hummed.

“So they killed her and then moved her here” he murmured. Taeyong nodded.

“Exactly” he praised. Donghyuck then frowned.

“How you gonna figure out where they killed her?” he asked. Taeyong looked at him and smirked.

“Watch and learn” he replied before he turned and headed back to the squad car.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the Everglades, Taeyong and Hansol headed to the dead woman’s address, knocking on the door, which was opened by a tall African American man.

“Steve Bowers?” Hansol asked.

“Yes” the man, Steve Bowers, replied. Taeyong sighed.

“Mr. Bowers, we're sorry to inform you that we found your wife's body. Could we come in?” he asked. Steve nodded before he motioned for Taeyong and Hansol to come inside as he walked over to the settee and sat down, shaking his head.

“I was about to call State Patrol. I figured her car broke down somewhere. I've been in Boca on business. Monday morning was the last time I saw Amy” he explained as Taeyong looked around the room, noticing that there was dirt tracked onto the carpet, but that Steve’s shoes were immaculately clean.

“Only it's Wednesday. What are you doing here?” Hansol questioned, looking over at him.

“I came home when Amy didn't answer the phone. I-I was worried” Steve explained.

“Can anybody vouch for your whereabouts the last 24 hours?” Taeyong inquired. Steve shook his head.

“No. But I left a message on the answering machine this morning. You can listen to it” he replied, motioning to the machine on the table next to the couch. Taeyong hummed as Hansol walked over to one of the cabinets, opening it to reveal a small thing of bullets.

“Do you own a firearm?” he asked. Steve looked over at him and nodded.

“I did. But, uh, Amy didn't like having a gun in the house. So I pawned it. Guess I forgot to get rid of the bullets” he replied, laughing nervously. Hansol let out a little laugh as Taeyong sniffed the room before walking over to him.

“Hyung…do you smell bleach?” he asked softly. Hansol frowned before he sniffed the air, making a noise of agreement. Taeyong then looked over at Steve.

“Mr. Bowers, have you been doing some cleaning?” he asked. Steve shook his head.

“I told you. I-I haven't been home” he replied, earnestly. Hansol hummed before he opened the box of bullets and looked inside.

“Some of the bullets are missing” he stated, making Steve frown at him.

“What? You think I shot my wife?” he snapped. Hansol nodded.

“Yeah” he replied, making Taeyong look over at him with wide eyes.

“You know what? Maybe we shouldn't rush this. Let's see how the evidence lines up” he murmured. Hansol huffed.

“Well, I know how it's going to line up. It's a crime of passion. I mean, this guy's greasy as lard. Come on, he can't even fake tears” he exclaimed, motioning to Steve, who was literally not even a few feet away from them.

“Hyung, somebody tracked mud across that floor. His shoes are clean as a whistle. They never touched dirt” Taeyong murmured, trying to get Hansol to see what he was seeing. Hansol rolled his eyes.

“He washed them, just like he spit-shined the rest of this place” he snapped. Taeyong shook his head.

“I'd really like to see some motive here” he murmured.

“We'll get motive later. I'm taking the widower back to the barn. Make sure he doesn't leave town” Hansol declared before he walked over to Steve and took him by the arm, making him stand up as he led him towards the door.

“Hey, look, I-I didn't do this. I-I swear, I…I…I didn't do this” he stammered as he was led away, leaving Taeyong in the middle of the house, hands on his hips. Once they were gone, Taeyong decided to look around, walking over to one of the walls, noticing that there was a smell coming off of it. He then leaned in and took a sniff before he stepped back and summoned a flashlight, clicking it on before shining it at an angle at the wall, revealing residue marks. He hummed before he clicked off the flashlight and waved it away, walking towards the door, a thoughtful look on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	65. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 2

Back at the police department, down in the morgue, Dr. Moon Taeil was using a bone saw to remove the back of the victim’s head, just as Taeyong walked in.

“Taeil” he greeted. Taeil glanced over at him before he grabbed a pair of forceps and reached into the victim’s brain, pulling out a crushed bullet round.

“I have your bullet for you, Taeyong, from the back of the wife's head” he stated as he placed the bullet inside a small biohazard evidence bag. He then handed it over to Taeyong, who pulled out a pair of gloves before taking the bag, staring at it.

“That's a nine millimeter. It's a match to the husband's box of ammo” he declared. Taeil huffed.

“Hansol’s convinced it was a domestic” he grumbled. Taeyong hummed before he looked down at the body.

“I'd like to hear what the body has to say” he replied. 

“Gunshot wound is what killed her. Based on the level of rigor, I'd place her time of death between 5:00 and 8:00 this morning” Taeil stated. Taeyong hummed as he picked up a wooden toothpick and ran it under the wife’s fingernails before looking at it.

“There's no skin underneath these fingernails, and I don't see any defensive wounds on her arms, so she wasn't fighting off her attacker” he mused. Taeil frowned.

“So either she knew him—” he started.

“Or maybe the killer took her by surprise” Taeyong finished before he tilted his head at Taeil.

“What about old injuries?” he asked. Taeil shook his head.

“Just an appendectomy scar” he replied. Taeyong frowned as he placed his hands on his hips.

“So we can't paint her as an abused wife” he mused. Taeil shook his head again.

“No, but look at this” he stated as he pulled back the hair on the right side of the wife’s head, revealing a blunt force trauma wound.

“I thought the blunt force trauma happened when she hit the ground” he continued.

Taeyong hummed as he looked at the head wound.

“Maybe, Taeil, he was attempting to subdue her” he theorized. Taeil frowned as he looked at him.

“Where are you going with this, Taeyong?” he asked. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“I don't know. I'm just following the evidence” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, upstairs, a bunch of detectives were sitting around, talking.

“Women's pro basketball? I mean, is that even a sport? I mean, unless, you know, they start playing in bikinis. Then, you know, count me in, right?” one of the men stated, just as a tall young man with light skin, black hair, and brown eyes with a gun strapped to his hip walked in and stood before the men.

“Gentlemen. I'm sorry to interrupt you. I'm wondering if someone could point me in the direction of Lieutenant Li Jun. He's in Special Investigations Unit” he stated. The detective that was talking stopped and looked over at him, eyeing him up and down before he smirked.

“How about I point you to my unit, and you can work the night shift with me?” he flirted. The young man blinked while another man, a tall young man with light skin, dark blue hair, and brown eyes, stood up and shoved the detective off his desk.

“Fuck off, Parker. Leave him alone” he snapped. The detective, James Parker, glared at the woman who spoke to him.

“Stay out of this, Kun” he ordered. 

“Or what?” Kun asked, raising an eyebrow at him as he crossed his arms. Parker glared at her for a moment before he huffed and walked away, taking the other detectives with him.

“You science guys. Always the buzz kill” he grumbled. Once they were gone, the young man, Detective Qian Kun, turned to look at the new young man standing before him.

“Sorry about that. He’s a bit of a creep” he explained before he held out his hand.

“Qian Kun” he introduced. The young man smiled and shook his hand.

“Kim Doyoung” he replied. Kun dipped his head.

“Nice to meet you” he greeted. Doyoung smiled slightly before he nodded.

“Likewise” he replied. Kun smiled before he motioned for Doyoung for him to follow as he walked through the crime lab.

“So, you're the lateral” he mused. Doyoung chuckled.

“I suppose I am” he agreed before he cleared his throat.

“Um, thanks for standing up for me back there. You didn’t have to do that” he thanked.

Kun glanced over at him and smiled.

“I know, but no one deserves workplace harassment, doesn’t matter the gender” he explained. Doyoung smiled and nodded.

“I gotcha” he replied as he and Kun continued to walk through the police department.

“You’re looking for the lab, right?” Kun asked. Doyoung nodded.

“Yeah” he replied.

“Follow me” Kun instructed before he led Doyoung into a very small room.

“Here we are” he declared. Doyoung looked around in shock.

“This is the lab? It’s so small and messy! It looks like a broom closet” he exclaimed. Kun chuckled. 

“Oh, but it was” he explained. Doyoung’s eyes widened as he turned to look at him.

“Seriously?!” he exclaimed. Kun nodded.

“Mmhm” he replied before he motioned to the tall man with light tan skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair sitting down at a desk in the lab, working on some paperwork.

“There’s Lieutenant Li. Good luck” he bid. Doyoung nodded.

“Thanks. I’ll see you around” he replied. Kun looked over at him and smiled sadly.

“Unfortunately, you won’t. Today’s my last day” he explained. Doyoung blinked before he frowned.

“Oh…well, thank you, for showing me around” he thanked. Kun smiled and nodded.

“No problem” he replied before he turned and headed out of the “lab”. Doyoung then walked over to Li Jun.

“Um, Lieutenant?” he started.

“You’re late” Li Jun interrupted. Doyoung winced.

“Ah…yeah. I got a little lost” he replied. 

“Don't just stand there all day. Got 1,700 guns need their serial numbers checked” Li Jun ordered. Doyoung nodded and quickly got to work. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Taeyong sat at his desk, talking on the phone to different witnesses. 

“So, you live right behind the Bowers' home. Okay. How often did you hear the arguments?” he asked. He listened for a moment before he nodded.

“Okay” he replied.

“Did you ever hear Mr. Bowers make a specific threat?” he continued as Kun sat down in the chair beside his desk.

“Well, you've been very helpful. Thank you” he thanked before he hung up. 

“Hyung, I still got five hours left in my shift…” Kun started.

“I need your eyes Kun” Taeyong declared. Kun nodded.

“I’ll head over to the canal” he assured. Taeyong shook his head.

“No. The primary: the Bowers’ home. Someone used bleach on the living room” he murmured. Kun smiled slightly.

“You got a pump spray?” he asked. Taeyong nodded as he waved his hand, summoning a pump spray before tossing it to him. Kun then nodded before he turned and headed out of the crime lab. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the Bowers’ house, Kun put protective shoes over his shoes before he grabbed his case and walked into the house, looking around. He then placed his kit down before he walked over to one of the walls and put on a pair of gloves. He then reached out and touched the wall, wiping it with her fingertips before he hummed.

“Yeah, the room was definitely wiped down” he murmured before he pulled out his phone and pressed on the “voice memo” app, pressing “record”.

“Found traces of bleach residue. About to start checking places the killer may have overlooked” he stated into his phone before he paused the recording and took a screwdriver and walked over to the electrical outlet, removing the protective barrier from around the sockets, revealing some blood that had trickled behind the barrier. He then took a crowbar and a rubber mallet and pried the baseboard off, revealing blood behind there as well. 

“Found blood behind the electrical outlet and the baseboard” he stated into his phone as he took it out of his pocket and began recording again. 

“About to start luminol process” he continued before he paused the recording again, placing it back into his pocket as he grabbed the spray bottle Taeyong gave him.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the crime lab, Taeyong headed over to the lab, just as Li Jun walked over to him.

“Detective Lee. Just the guy I wanted to see” he greeted before he motioned to Doyoung.

“Have you met my new assistant?” he asked, making Doyoung look up at them.

“Actually, I'm an expert in tool marks and firearms; Kim Doyoung” he replied. Taeyong nodded to him.

“Nice to meet you” he greeted before he turned back to Li Jun.

“So, Li Jun, what can you tell me?” he asked. 

“Well, elemental composition of the bullet that Dr. Moon pulled out of the victim matches the batch of bullets that were found at the house. Now, that doesn't put the gun in Bowers' hand, but this is, uh, pretty definitive” Li Jun replied, making Doyoung stop what he was doing and look at them again.

“Excuse me, but I believe that analysis is flawed” he stated. Li Jun turned and glared at him.

“Are you questioning my science?” he demanded. Doyoung shook his head.

“No, I'm not questioning the science, just the interpretation” he replied. Li Jun huffed.

“I don't know if they told you at that fancy institute, but bullets packaged at the same time and from the same batch are elementally identical” he snapped as Taeyong placed a calming hand on his arm.

“Hang on a second, Li Jun” he murmured before he looked at Doyoung.

“Doyoung, continue” he instructed. Doyoung smiled slightly before he nodded.

“A study done by the Department of Justice is finding that bullets packaged months apart in separate batches can have the same led composition. Therefore, your link between the husband and the victim is unfounded. I mean, anyone could own this bullet” he explained.

Taeyong was quiet before he glanced over at Li Jun.

“Li Jun, did we see this study?” he asked quietly. Li Jun said nothing before he turned to him.

“It's worked for 40 years, Taeyong. That's good enough for me” he grumbled. Taeyong sighed.

“But, Li Jun, things are changing, and we need to change with them” he explained calmly. Li Jun shook his head.

“We don't have any other way to compare bullets. You drop the ball on this one, and we're back to zero. What do we do then?” he exclaimed.

“Look for more evidence” Taeyong replied before he looked over at Doyoung.

“Doyoung. A word please” he asked. Doyoung nodded and followed him out of the lab, standing before him.

“Did I speak out of turn?” he asked. Taeyong smirked.

“Yes, but you were asking the right questions, so that’s all that really matters” he replied. Doyoung smiled slightly before nodding.

“Okay…thank you” he thanked. Taeyong nodded.

“You’re welcome. Just try not to speak out of turn in front of Li Jun again. He gets grumpy when people question his judgement” he explained. Doyoung nodded.

“Noted” he replied. Taeyong then nodded.

“Good. Nice work” he praised before he turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	66. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 3

After to talking to Doyoung, Taeyong headed out to the area where all of the police officers worked.

“I’m looking for Officer Chen” he called out. 

“He’s not here, but I might be able to help you” a voice replied, making Taeyong’s eyes widen before he turned to see a tall young man with light skin, dark brown hair with turquoise highlights, and brown eyes walking towards him, files in his hand.

“Jaehyun!” he exclaimed. The man, Dr. Jung Jaehyun, a criminal psychologist, homicide detective, and a friend of Taeyong’s who transferred from Xuswiunia PD to Yadrioria PD about four years ago, smiled.

“Hey Taeyong. Why did you need to speak to Officer Chen?” he asked as he placed the files down on the desk.

“I needed to ask him a question. It’s about the case I’m working on” Taeyong explained.

Jaehyun hummed.

“I bet I can help” he offered. Taeyong raised an eyebrow before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Did Officer Chen ever answer a domestic for Amy and Steve Bowers?” he asked. Jaehyun frowned before he sat down at computer and typed in his username and password before clicking the record log that was saved onto the computer.

“Yes, says here it was three weeks ago” he stated before he closed the record log and went to the report log, searching for the report that went along with the date. Once he found it, he clicked on it to open it and began to read.

“Neighbors heard arguing” he continued.

“Did it get physical? Does his report say?” Taeyong asked. Jaehyun hummed as he searched through the report before he shook his head.

“No. Uh, harmless. Just a married couple shouting. No hitting, so he didn't file anything” he answered. 

“Any B and Es recently in their area?” Taeyong inquired. Jaehyun hummed before he minimized the report log and went to the record log, searching for Taeyong’s request.

“No, but there is a record of a Peeping Tom close to there last month. Says here that a couple of female residents said they were being watched while they got undressed” he read aloud. Taeyong hummed.

“And those Peeping Toms go from sexual assault to murder easily” he murmured.

Jaehyun then sighed. 

“The bad news is, until they do, all we can give them is a citation” he explained. Taeyong perked up at that statement.

“Did Officer Chen give that one a citation?” he asked. Jaehyun hummed before he went to the citation log and began searching.

“That was last month, correct?” he asked.

“Yeah” Taeyong replied. Jaehyun nodded before he searched the citation log until he found it.

“Ah, here’s the creep: Arnold Hollings. Age: 32. Occupation: landscaper” he declared.

“Print that out for me, will ya?” Taeyong asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Of course” he replied as he hit the “print” button, printing off the citation before handing it to Taeyong.

“Here you go” he stated. Taeyong smiled.

“I owe you one, Jaehyun” he stated before he turned and walked away. Jaehyun smirked and crossed his arms.

“I’ll hold you to that” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong got the information from Jaehyun, he called Arnold Hollings in for questioning.

“Arnold Hollings, you mow the lawn at the Bowers' house. You ever hear any arguments between Mr. and Mrs. Bowers?” Hansol asked as Taeyong looked at Arnold’s shoes, noticing that they were caked in mud.

“Weedwhacker blocks out everything. I prefer it that way” Arnold replied. Taeyong then cleared his throat.

“I, um, I noticed you have mud on your shoes” he murmured, making Hansol roll his eyes while Arnold frowned.

“I’m a gardener” he replied. 

“I ask you because we found mud inside the Bowers' home” Taeyong stated. 

“So?” Arnold asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You told us that you never went inside” Taeyong growled. Arnold shrugged.

“Oh, I forgot. I went in to pick up my payment. Mrs. Bowers left it in an envelope” he explained.

“What time was that?” Taeyong inquired.

“6:00, I think” Arnold replied. 

“Was she home?” Taeyong questioned.

“She was in the shower” Arnold answered timidly. Hansol raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, how do you know that? Were you watching her?” he sneered. Arnold turned and glared at him.

“I heard the water running” he snapped.

“Really?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow. Arnold then turned to glare at him.

“You think I killed Mrs. Bowers?” he snapped. Taeyong shrugged.

“If the shoe fits my friend…” he murmured. Arnold was quiet before he huffed.

“I pull weeds and I leave. Got no idea who killed that lady” he stated. Before Taeyong could say anything, Hansol cleared his throat.

“Thanks for your time” he thanked. Arnold shot Taeyong one last glare before he nodded.

“You’re welcome” he replied. Once he was gone and out of earshot, Taeyong walked over to Hansol and placed his hands on his hips.

“The man has mud on his shoes. He had access to the victim. You're releasing him” he hissed. Hansol was the one to glare at him now.

“While you were doing your little science experiment, I did some real police work. The husband wasn't on a business trip. He was riding the high horse with some little cocktail waitress from Yadrioria Shores” he snapped.

“I want to talk to the girl” Taeyong declared. Hansol shook his head.

“I already did. She said, _"He wanted a divorce, but he couldn't afford it."_ You wanted motive. There's your motive. Open and shut” he hissed before he turned and walked away. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the forensic garage, Doyoung was standing before the car that was found submerged in the Everglades when Taeyong came walking over to him.

“Doyoung” he greeted. Doyoung looked up and smiled slightly when he saw him.

“Taeyong. Thanks for letting me help” he thanked. Taeyong nodded before he motioned to the car.

“What do you see?” he asked. Doyoung studied the car before he hummed.

“Well, the car's been underwater, so we're not going to find any usable prints, fibers or hairs” he started as she walked around to the front of the car.

“Front end's damaged” he continued. Meanwhile, Taeyong walked over to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door, noticing that the air bag had been deployed.

“The airbag is deployed. Could that have happened when the car went in the water?” he asked as Doyoung knelt down before the car.

“No. I don't think so. I've got transfer here, and you don't get transfer from water. It looks like the car came into contact with steel or maybe concrete” he replied. Taeyong hummed in thought.

“Okay, so that means someone crashed it before it went in the water” he mused before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Don't we need propellant to inflate the bag?” he inquired. Doyoung nodded.

“The impact will ignite the propellant, and that generates the gas that fills the airbag. It basically works like the primer of a gun” he explained.

“And just like a gun, wouldn't there be explosive material on the driver?” Taeyong asked. Doyoung was quiet before he blinked in surprise.

“Wow…I never even thought about that” he whispered. Taeyong smiled before he chuckled.

“You know, when I was back with the bomb squad, we used to do the Greiss test for nitrites” he stated. He then noticed Doyoung was smiling, which made him frown.

“Why are you smiling?” he asked. Doyoung was the one to chuckle this time.

“Because this is what I was hoping it would be like when I got here” he admitted. Taeyong smiled as well.

“Me too” he replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	67. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 4

At the Bowers’ house, Kun took the spray pump and sprayed the walls with luminol. Soon there was a bright blue glowing on the wall from where blood had been spattered, making him smirk.

“Medium velocity spatter about six feet up the north wall consistent with blunt force trauma” he stated into his phone again before he continued spraying down the wall, revealing more bright blue blood splatter.

“Overlapping high velocity spatter about three feet up. It suggests the victim was hit over the head while standing then fell to her knees” he continued. He then continued to spray the floor, revealing a large blue luminol pool.

“There's a large blood pool that somebody tried to clean up. Apparently where the victim bled out” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong was down in the morgue with Taeil again.

“Taeil, I just got a call from Kun. Have we checked for sexual assault?” he asked. Taeil was quiet before he sighed and nodded.

“She was sexually assaulted” he replied as he handed Taeyong his autopsy report sheet.

“Was there bruising?” Taeyong demanded. Taeil frowned before he grabbed the vaginal microscope and lifted up the sheet that covered the legs, using the microscope to check to see if there was bruising or anything of that sort in the vaginal region.

“Vaginal mucosa lacerations…without bruising” Taeil replied as he pulled his head out from under the sheet to look at Taeyong.

“They were definitely inflicted postmortem” he continued. Taeyong frowned as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Now…correct me if I'm wrong, Taeil, but doesn’t the body stops bruising once the heart stops beating?” he asked. Taeil nodded as he looked over at Mrs. Bowers’ body.

“Yeah. Poor girl's corpse was desecrated” he whispered before he shook his head.

“Thanks to the Glades water, there's no semen, and without it, I can't identify your perpetrator” he stated. Taeyong was quiet before he let out a deep sigh. This was going to be difficult. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, upstairs, Doyoung stood next to Steve and explained to him that he wanted his shirt.

“Why do you want my shirt?” Steve asked.

“Because every contact you make, no matter how small, will leave a trace” Doyoung explained.

~*~*~*~*~

“It's called "Locard's exchange principle”" Taeyong explained to Arnold as he removed his outer work shirt.

“I don't get it” Arnold grumbled.

“That’s okay. We do” Taeyong replied.

~*~*~*~*~

“Sounds like a lot of hocus-pocus” Steve mumbled as he too removed his shirt.

“Actually, there's an entire forensic discipline based on this principle” Doyoung explained.

~*~*~*~*~

“How come I've never heard of this on TV?” Arnold asked as he placed his shirt into a large brown paper bag that Taeyong was holding.

“Because guns make the news and science doesn't” Taeyong replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After Doyoung and Taeyong took both Arnold and Steve’s shirts, they went down to the lab and grabbed a tub, filling it with a fifteen percent acetic acid solution. Taeyong then placed both shirts face down onto an emulsion-coated test paper before taking an unused piece of cheesecloth into the acetic acid solution, soaking it through. He then rung out the excess before placing it on top of the shirts, completing a three-layer sandwich for testing. Doyoung then took a hot, uncontaminated iron and placed it onto the cheesecloth, forcing the acetic acid through the cheesecloth, through the shirts, and onto the paper, due to the intense heat coming from the iron.

“So all we have to do is lift these papers and see if either one of them pops for nitrites” Doyoung stated as he placed the iron down and removed the cheesecloth, discarding it into a nearby trashcan. He then removed Steve’s shirt first, revealing a clear test paper.

“Husband’s negative” he declared. 

“Let’s try the gardener” Taeyong ordered. Doyoung nodded as he removed Arnold’s shirt from the test paper, revealing a large orange spatter, which indicated the presence of nitrites.

“It's a positive result” he exclaimed, a little excited. Taeyong stared at the test paper for a moment before he smiled.

“That is amazing. We just put Hollings in the car” he declared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	68. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 5

After the Griess test, Taeyong headed to Kim Junmyeon, one of the lawyers that worked for the YPD, and handed him the Griess test results.

“Arnold Hollings is good for this. These results place him in the victim's car” he stated. Junmyeon stared at it for a moment before he shook his head and placed the results down.

“No. It says that he was in a car when an airbag deployed. What if he crashed his own car?” he replied. Taeyong frowned.

“On the same day his employer was murdered?” he asked. Junmyeon shrugged.

“It's possible. That's all a judge cares about. Besides, wasn't the guy a gardener? So possible that the residue on his clothes came from fertilizer or weed killer” he replied.

“So grant me the warrant, we'll confirm the Greiss test and get him off the street” Taeyong ordered. Junmyeon crossed his arms.

“Is this even an accepted application of the Greiss in any county in Yadrioria?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“Not yet” he replied. Junmyeon then narrowed his eyes at him.

“Oh, so you're bringing me junk science, is that it? You trying to put a loss in my column? I don't think so. Besides, I agree with your partner, Hansol, on this one” he stated. Taeyong went quiet at that statement, eyes widening slightly.

“He was here?” he asked softly. Junmyeon nodded.

“Yeah. Helping me to put the husband away. Slam dunk” he declared. Taeyong went silent again before he turned and headed out of the office.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong left the office, he got a call from Donghyuck, who asked him to head out to the Glades. When he arrived, Donghyuck was parked next to a damaged guardrail.

“I was driving by here yesterday and I noticed this. This guardrail wasn’t damaged” Donghyuck explained as Taeyong walked over to him. Taeyong studied the guardrail and hummed.

“Well, the front end of the car was damaged…and we know the victim died between 5:00 and 8:00, which would mean that the gardener dumped her body after you came through” he explained as he knelt before the guardrail, making Donghyuck kneel too. He then pointed to the guardrail, mainly to the blue paint that was on it.

“See that blue paint? That’s transfer, which confirms the impact took place here” he declared. Donghyuck hummed.

“This road was pretty slick from the rain last night. Maybe the driver took the turn too fast” he suggested. Taeyong nodded in agreement as he stood up and walked away from the guardrail, noticing footprints in the mud.

“So Hollings walked away…” he murmured before he stopped at the last two footprints in the mud.

“These last two prints confirm that he put his weight on his left foot; he planted it” he declared. Donghyuck studied the prints for a while and copied the stance before looking out onto the water.

“Hmm…like he was going to throw something” he mused. Taeyong blinked before he looked over at him.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Donghyuck shrugged as he looked back at Taeyong.

“I may not play sports, but I do know that if you’re going to toss something, you plant on your back foot” he explained before he looked back out onto the water.

“Question is, what was he tossing?” he asked. 

“How about the murder weapon?” Taeyong offered before he huffed.

“Problem is, it's halfway to Yadrioria Bay by now” he grumbled. Donghyuck was quiet before he smirked.

“Maybe not. Follow me” he instructed as he walked away from the footprints and over to a large storm drain that wasn’t too far from their cars.

“How’d you know to look here?” Taeyong inquired. Donghyuck shrugged.

“Water levels rise when it rains. Excess water gets diverted into these draining pipes” he explained before he carefully waded into the water, making Taeyong’s eyes widen.

“Donghyuck, your shoes! Your pants!” he exclaimed. Donghyuck waved his hand.

“I can always buy more” he replied as he walked over to the drainpipe and knelt before it before looking up at Taeyong.

“Got a pair of gloves I can borrow?” he asked. Taeyong nodded and snapped his fingers, summoning a pair of gloves which he tossed to Donghyuck. Donghyuck then put on the gloves before he stuck his hand in the dirty water, pulling out cans, milk cartons, and then finally, a gun. He then stood to his feet before looking over at Taeyong.

“You said the killer used a nine-millimeter, right?” he asked. Taeyong smirked and nodded.

“I did” he agreed. Donghyuck then held up the gun.

“Looks like a nine-mil” he replied as he trudged through the water and back up onto the road, handing Taeyong the gun before removing the gloves.

“Sometimes things end up where you never expect. Pays to know your environment” he added. Taeyong smirked as he looked at him.

“And you know, Donghyuck, that’s the essence of good police work” he praised. Donghyuck blinked at the praise before he let out a little laugh.

“Yeah…I guess it is” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“I know it is. Nice job” he praised, making Donghyuck smile.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Bowers’ home, Kun was holding the pump bottle in one hand and his phone in the other, documenting her process in the house.

“So far everything's consistent with the victim's injuries” he stated as he continued to spray the room before he stopped and looked up at the window, noticing that there were three blood drops there.

“There’s three blood drops on the window. They seem out of place” he continued before she sprayed the wall beneath the window, only to have nothing come up. He then knelt down and took the screwdriver that he used to remove the protective socket barrier and jammed it behind the baseboard, pulling it off the wall as he sprayed the luminol behind it. Again, he found nothing. He then stood up and sprayed the air, trying to see if there was anything on the ceiling, but again, nothing.

“There's nothing on the ceiling or behind the baseboards. Cause of blood drops: undetermined” he declared before he stopped the recording, saving it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	69. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 6

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong was sitting at his desk when Hansol walked over to him.

“Heard you found the murder weapon. Too bad the serial numbers were scratched off.

Might’ve been one more nail in the husband's coffin” he stated. Taeyong just gave him a look, making him sigh.

“Thought you should know the A.S.A. has agreed to file charges against Bowers” he stated. Taeyong said nothing before he shook his head.

“Hyung, you've got the wrong guy” he growled. Hansol huffed.

“Prove it” he dared. Taeyong smirked.

“I’m going to” he replied. Hansol just rolled his eyes and walked away, just as Kun walked over to him and sat down in the chair beside his desk.

“God, I’d love to wipe that fucking smirk off his face” he grumbled. 

“So would I” Taeyong agreed before he looked down at the photo of the blood drops that Kun had taken at the crime scene.

“Explain to me the blood drops” he instructed. Kun shook his head.

“I still can't explain directionality. It's completely out of context” he replied. Taeyong hummed before he looked at another one of Kun’s photos, an idea coming to mind.

“Kun, I've got an idea. Before you punch out, I need one more thing” he stated. Kun blinked before he nodded. Taeyong nodded as well before he stood up, Kun following after him.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Bowers’ house, Taeyong placed a fake-blood soaked sponge on a large nail on top of an upside-down wooden “T” in front of a large black Kevlar box. 

“All right, so what is all this?” Kun asked as he stood before the strange contraption.

“I think I know how the blood drops got on the window. We both agree it wasn't a head injury. What about the gunshot wound?” Taeyong asked. Kun frowned and shook his head.

“The victim was on this side of the room; there's no way the blood could have traveled that far” he argued.

“Sometimes things end up where they never should be, and it pays to understand your environment” Taeyong stated, quoting Donghyuck. Kun blinked before he frowned, nodding.

“Okay…what did we miss?” he asked. Taeyong motioned to his set up.

“I’ve placed the target where the victim fell to her knees. Okay?” he started before he handed Kun the nine-mil Donghyuck found.

“Take this, go to the shooter’s position, and shoot the target” he ordered before he walked over to the air-conditioner and turned it on. Kun frowned as he walked over to where the shooter supposedly stood.

“You want me to shoot the target?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Go ahead” he ordered. Kun raised an eyebrow at him.

“Really?” he asked. Taeyong nodded again.

“Really. It’s a dummy round. Go ahead” he ordered again before he stepped out of the way. Kun sighed before he took the gun and fired it at the sponge, pieces of it flying past him.

As the pieces flew past him, the blood that sprayed from the sponge traveled through the air, thanks to the air-conditioner, and landed on the window. Right where the original three blood drops were. 

“The air-conditioning was on” Kun breathed as blood from the sponge trickled down his cheek. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah” he agreed as he turned the system off and walked over to her and the window.

“Look at this: the air from the A.C. carried the blood to the window” he stated. Kun blinked before he grinned.

“Know what this means? If the blood hit the killer like it hit me—” he started.

“We just put him in the room” Taeyong finished.

~*~*~*~*~

In the crime lab, in one of the unused room, Doyoung took a camera and stood before Arnold Hollings.

“Raise your arms, please” he ordered. Arnold did what he was told and raised his arms as Doyoung took multiple photos before he lowered the camera.

“Lower your arms” he ordered. Arnold, again, did as he was told, allowing Doyoung to take more photos. Meanwhile, Taeyong summoned a pair of gloves and put them on before he raised his flashlight and pointed it in Arnold’s face while Kun wrote down their findings.

“Turn around” Doyoung ordered. Arnold turned around and as Doyoung was taking pictures, he noticed a hair through the finder.

“I’ve got a hair” he declared. Kun looked up before he grabbed a pair of tweezers and walked over to Arnold, plucking it off of him.

“It's a different color than our victim” he declared.

“Does it have blood on it?” Taeyong asked.

“No” Doyoung replied. Taeyong huffed before he looked at Arnold.

“Okay, turn around, please” he ordered. Arnold did what he was told as Taeyong took his arm and ran his flashlight over it. When he found nothing there, he raised it up to Arnold’s chest, noticing something there.

“Okay, hang on a second. What is that?” he asked, making Doyoung and Kun look up. Doyoung then took a piece of tape and walked over to Arnold, placing on the place where Taeyong was shining the light before lifting it off.

“No. That's dirt; that's not blood” he stated. Doyoung then placed the tape down before taking a piece of paper and a fine-tooth comb, standing before Arnold.

“Bend over, please” he ordered. Arnold did what he was told and bent over as he ran the comb through his hair, allowing whatever was in it to fall onto the paper.

“That's a whole lot of dandruff” he murmured.

“Yeah” Taeyong agreed.

“No blood” Doyoung continued. Arnold then stood up, looking at the both of them.

“Is that it? Am I done?” he asked. Doyoung said nothing as Taeyong shone his flashlight in Arnold’s face, shaking his head.

“No, you're not done. Lean your head back, please. All the way back” he ordered.

Arnold did as he was told until Taeyong grabbed the back of his head and held it at the perfect angle.

“Right there. Kun, a swab please” he called out. Kun looked up from placing their results into envelopes and nodded, placing the envelope down before taking a long swab and walking over to Taeyong.

“Take a look at that. Right there” he instructed. Kun nodded and stuck the swab into Arnold’s nose, right in the corner towards the cartilaginous middle part of the nose, before pulling it out, revealing a bloodied tip. 

“Brother…you shouldn’t have inhaled” Taeyong sneered.

“What does all this mean?!” Arnold exclaimed.

“You’re about to find out” Taeyong replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After finding the blood in Arnold’s nose, Taeyong called Junmyeon down to the crime lab to talk to him.

“We believe that a DNA test will confirm the blood found on Hollings will match the victim” Taeyong stated. Junmyeon shook his head.

“You have a pinhead-sized sample of blood. You can't run that for DNA” he argued.

“For one test, we can” Kun argued back.

“Yeah, well, the defense has the right to run their own DNA test, and if you use the sample up, there's none left for them” Junmyeon stated. Kun let out a huff.

“You're saying if we test it, we can't use it against the guy, and if we don't test it, we can't get the guy” he exclaimed. Junmyeon nodded.

“Yeah, that’s the law. Now if you excuse me, I have to be in court” he stated before he picked up his briefcase and exited the lab. Once he was gone, Kun let out a groan of frustration.

“Well, the law just screwed us” he grumbled. Taeyong was quiet before he smirked.

“What if we multiply the sample?” he suggested. 

“Yeah, well, that's pretty new science. We don't have access to that equipment” Kun argued.

“Yes, but the Feds are doing it” Taeyong stated. Kun crossed his arms.

“Think you can reach out?” he asked. Taeyong smirked again.

“I have a friend in the Yadrioria field office; he owes me a favor” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	70. Case 10: Blast to the Past - Part 7

In the Yadrioria field office, Taeyong followed after his friend, Agent Wu Yifan, into their lab.

“Thank you for doing this, hyung. If we don’t find a way to stretch this DNA, an innocent man is going to go to jail” Taeyong explained. Yifan let out a laugh.

“Well, we couldn't have caught that serial bomber without your expertise, Taeyong. It’s the least I could do” he replied as he walked over to one of the agents working at a lab desk.

“I put a reference sample from our victim in here, too” Taeyong stated. Yifan nodded.

“But first step is to multiply the DNA” he stated before he looked at one of his agents.

“Agent Huang, would you run a PCR on these samples?” he asked. Agent Huang Zitao nodded as he took the swab box and removed it from the biohazard bag that Taeyong had brought.

“Used to be we needed a blood sample the size of a quarter to run DNA. Now it's the equivalent of a few skin cells” Yifan explained as Zitao took the swab and snipped off the tip, placing it into a small centrifuge tube before adding a small amount of solution to the tube. 

“Progress marches on, huh?” Taeyong teased.

“Yeah” Yifan agreed. Zitao then opened up the cell amplification machine, placing the sample inside before hitting start. They only had to wait a few moments before the DNA within the tube had multiplied, to which then Zitao opened the machine and showed to Yifan and Taeyong.

“Magic. DNA for you and DNA for the defense” he declared with a smile. 

“If it matches our victim” Taeyong reminded. Yifan nodded as he walked around the table and put gloves on, nodding, as Zitao placed the tube down in a centrifuge tube holder before stepping to the side.

“Of course” Yifan replied as he took a micropipette and sucked up a little bit of the DNA from one of the sample tubes.

“This is the DNA profile for your victim” he stated as he placed it onto circles on a paper that would turn blue to reveal if the alleles in the blood were a match.

“And this is the unknown sample” he continued as he removed the dirty micropipette tip and placed a new one onto the micropipette, sucking up some DNA from the unknown sample tube. He then placed that onto the paper and waited for the solution within the circle to turn blue.

“Odds that two people have the same profile are about one in a billion” he reminded before he looked down at the paper, noticing that the circles on both side were practically identical in the way that they were colored. He smirked as he looked up at Taeyong.

“The blood’s a match” he declared. Taeyong stared at him in shock before he nodded, smiling slightly.

“Arnold Hollings murdered Amy Bowers, open-and-shut” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong left the field office, he headed to Junmyeon’s office, handing him the results of the DNA test to prove to him that he and Hansol really did have the wrong guy in custody. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Arnold Hollings was arrested, then fingerprinted, before he was ordered to stand before the mugshot wall to have his mugshot taken.

~*~*~*~*~

“Let the record reflect that the State has presented sufficient evidence to show that the defendant, Arnold Hollings, committed criminal acts that there is probable cause to believe he battered, assaulted and killed Amy Bowers with malice of forethought, and that he laid in wait at her residence, implying premeditation to said criminal acts. In light of these charges, the defendant, Arnold Hollings, is hereby bound over for trial and charged with murder in the first degree” a judge stated after Junmyeon took the evidence Taeyong presented him with to court. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Arnold was booked, a police officer led him through the crime lab and over to the holding cell, where Steve Bowers was released. As he walked out and Arnold walked in, Steve made eye-contact with Taeyong, smiling slightly as he nodded in thanks. Taeyong returned the nod as Steve walked away while Hansol walked up behind him.

“Taeyong, the chief called. He wants to talk to you” he stated.

“Thank you, hyung” Taeyong thanked. 

“No hard feelings. We okay?” Hansol asked, making Taeyong raise an eyebrow before turning around to face his partner. 

“We’re okay hyung” he assured, patting Hansol on the shoulder before walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	71. Case 10: Blast to the Past - CASE CLOSED

Meanwhile, Kun was walking out the police department’s doors, carrying a box full of all of his belongings. As he walked down the steps, he noticed Taeyong standing outside, enjoying the sun, so he quickly walked over to him, a big smile on his face.

“Taeyong! Congratulations, I just heard. Chief wants you to head up the Special Investigations Unit, huh?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah, they're gonna rename it CSI” he explained. Kun raised an eyebrow.

“Li Jun's old broom closet?” he asked. Taeyong chuckled and shook his head.

“No, we've got our eye on a piece of property not far from here” he replied. Kun nodded.

“Yeah, I bet you do” he agreed before the smile fell away from his face and he sighed.

“Well…thank you for everything” he thanked, looking into Taeyong’s eyes. Taeyong looked back at him and smiled sadly.

“I hope this works out for you, Kun. You’re a good person. And a good cop” he praised. Kun let out a choked laugh as tears came to his eyes before he nodded. 

“Yeah, me too” he agreed. He then sniffled before he cleared his throat.

“Oh, and Doyoung says you're putting together a team. I know a good cop up at St. Pete, Li Wei, if you'd like. Since you know…Renjun and Yangyang left” he offered. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Li Wei?” he repeated. Kun nodded.

“Yeah. A little hard to get on the phone, but he's a good guy” he assured. Taeyong hummed.

“I’ll give him a call” he replied before he smiled sadly at Kun once more.

“You take care. And stay in touch” he ordered. Kun laughed, a single tear falling down his cheek, before he nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied. Taeyong nodded and watched as Kun turned and walked away, heading towards his car, just as Donghyuck’s car pulled up in front of the police department. He then walked over to Taeyong, dressed in a new outfit, and smiled as he stood before the detective.

“You wanted to see me, hyung?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“You did good work out there today, Donghyuck” he praised. Donghyuck blinked in shock before he smiled slightly.

“Thank you. I appreciate you showing me how everything works” he replied. 

“You ever think about being a cop?” Taeyong asked, making Donghyuck’s eyes widen.

“What, like you?” he exclaimed. Taeyong nodded. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, that thought never even crossed my mind. Besides, I wouldn’t make a good cop” he explained. Taeyong shook his head, a serious look on his face.

“I’m serious, Donghyuck. See, this work is about observation, and you have a great eye for detail. Why don't you go to the academy, let me put in a good word for you, get your badge, and then come and find me?” he suggested. Donghyuck blinked at him in shock before he shook his head.

“I don’t know hyung…do you really think I’m made out to be a cop?” he asked. Taeyong smiled and nodded.

“I do. Now, go get your badge and come find me. I’ll be right here” he assured. Donghyuck smiled brightly before he threw his arms around Taeyong, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you hyung!” he thanked. Taeyong nodded and patted his back before he pulled away.

“You’re welcome” he replied. Donghyuck then headed back to his car, a small smile on his face as he got in and drove away. Taeyong watched him leave as well, hands on his hips as he stood out in the warm sun that shone overhead. As he was standing there, he didn’t hear footsteps come up behind him.

“Taeyong” a voice called out, making Taeyong jump and spin around, only to see Jaehyun standing there.

“Jaehyun! Jesus, you scared me” he scolded. Jaehyun chuckled as he walked over to him, standing at his side. 

“Congratulations on heading the Special Investigations Unit” he praised. Taeyong smiled as he hummed.

“Thank you. You know, I do need a partner to help me run this new CSI unit…would you be interested?” he asked, glancing over at the criminal psychologist. Jaehyun’s eyes widened before he smiled slightly.

“I’d love to” he replied with a small smile as he placed his hands on his hips, staring out at the world along with Taeyong, who smiled as well and crossed his arms, both men enjoying the sun and the prospect of a new unit, all to themselves.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	72. Case 11: No Man's Land - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This case and the rest of the cases moving forward will be in present time

It was a bright and sunny day as somewhere in a large garage, two men were testing and boxing up multiple firearms, placing them into a large van. Once everything was in the van, one of the men, a tall, young African American man, smiled at the other man, a tall young Caucasian man.

“Let’s get this over with” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

After they left the garage, the two men were driving down the street, the African American man at the wheel. As they were driving down the street, the Caucasian man looked anxious, making the African American man look over at him and smile slightly.

“Almost there” he assured. The Caucasian man hummed before he looked in the left mirror, noticing a black van speeding up on them.

“What the hell's this guy doing behind us?” he demanded before he looked over at his partner.

“Wave him around us” he ordered. The African American man nodded and motioned with his hand for the car to go around them, watching the car in the right mirror.

“Go. Go!” he instructed. The black car continued to follow them for a while before making a sharp turn to the left, finally leaving them. Both the Caucasian and African American man were watching the car leave when the Caucasian man turned and saw a large semi-truck coming towards them, the back end at an angle, almost like it was trying to block the roadway. 

“Look out!” he shouted, causing the African American man to focus back on the road and slam on his brake, holding one arm out to try and protect his friend. Thankfully, both vans stopped before colliding with each other, and once they stopped, the two men looked at one another with wide eyes.

“What the hell is going on?” the African American man demanded. The Caucasian man shook his head.

“I don’t know. Let’s get outta here. Go! Go! Go!” he exclaimed.

“All right” the African American replied as he put the car into reverse and hit the gas, speeding backwards, only to suddenly be launched in the air before landing on the passenger side of the van, causing the back of the van to crack open and spill the contents, which were the weapons that the two men had placed in the van earlier.

“Matt? Matt, you okay?” the African American man asked from where he was clinging to the wheel to keep him in his seat. When the Caucasian man, Matt, didn’t answer, the African American man unlocked his seatbelt and pulled himself up through the driver’s side window, looking around, only to see a multiple men and women at the back of the van, grabbing the weapons that had fallen out.

“Yadrioria PD, drop those weapons now! That's county property! I repeat, drop those guns immediately!” the African American man croaked, but none of the thieves heard anything. The man then reached into his pocket and pulled out his walkie-talkie.

“This is Charlie Seven. I got an officer down. Cargo's been compromised, I need backup now!” the African American man barked into the walkie-talkie before he put it away and pushed himself all the way out. He then walked over to the edge and crawled down the truck, pulling his gun out of his holster as he walked to the back of the truck, where one person remained, trying to steal a rather large bagged weapon.

“Yadrioria Police. Put your hands where I can see them” he ordered. The man immediately put the bag down as the African American man stepped closer.

“Turn around!” he ordered. When the man didn’t move, the African American man tightened his grip on his weapon.

“Do it!” he barked. The man then slowly raised his arms and as soon as he did that, a black car sped reversed towards him, distracting him enough for the man he was pointing the gun at to spin around and grab the gun that was in his hand. The two men wrestled for a moment before the thief grabbed the gun and wrenched it down, pointing it at the African American man’s abdomen, firing the trigger. The African American man let out a cry of pain as he collapsed to the ground, the thief running off with the stolen weapon, leaving the African American man on the ground to die.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeyong and his team arrived on scene, Taeil immediately heading over to the body, covering it with a sheet. While he was attending the body, Jaehyun walked over to them, sighing.

“This is Officer Chris Ryder. His partner is Officer Matt Cranby. They were headed to the Folton Steel Mill incinerator. Had an annual shipment of confiscated guns scheduled to be melted down” he explained, holding up a pad that belonged to Officer Chris. Taeyong nodded before he looked over at the gun next to the first marker.

“Taeil, this is his nine millimeter. He may have had it turned on him during the struggle” he stated. Jaehyun then cleared his throat.

“I’ll run it in for prints” he murmured before he turned and walked away, leaving Taeyong and Taeil alone. As Taeil rolled up the hem of the body’s shirt to look at the bullet wound, Taeyong noticed something in his left hand.

“What's that in his hand?” he asked. Taeil frowned and reached into his kit, grabbing a pair of forceps before he reached into the body’s left hand, pulling out a clump of hair.

“Our boy managed to grab you some evidence. It's hair” he declared, holding it up for his boss to see. Taeyong’s eyes widened slightly.

“He went down fighting” he mused. Taeil nodded as he placed the hair in an evidence bag.

“A cop to the end” he murmured before he looked up at Taeyong.

“Taeyong…if you wouldn't mind, will you ask DNA to put a rush on this?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Priority number one” he assured.

~*~*~*~*~

At the scene, Donghyuck and Doyoung were walking around the van, studying it.

“The empty trailer provided the perfect barricade. PD says it was stolen from the port” Donghyuck explained before he walked over to the van and placed his hands on his hips.

“What do you think launched this delivery truck?” he wondered aloud. Doyoung shook his head as he knelt down and opened his kit.

“I don't know. It's definitely some sort of explosive. Fuel tank maybe?” he asked. Donghyuck shook his head as he walked over to the underpart of the truck.

“No, it's intact” he replied before he noticed something.

“Take a look at that” he called out, making Doyoung look up to see a circle with indentations and wires in it smashed into the underpart of the truck.

“What do you think caused that?” Donghyuck asked. Doyoung shook his head.

“I don't know. The truck alone weighs about four tons. With cargo another two” he replied as he stood to his feet and walked over to Donghyuck. Donghyuck then huffed.

“Well, whatever it is, it packed a punch” he stated. Doyoung nodded as he pulled out his flashlight and stared at the thing on the underpart of the truck before it hit him.

“I know what it is. It’s a manhole cover” he declared as he put away his flashlight and began to look around for said manhole. Donghyuck began to look as well and soon found it underneath a couple of wooden boards, kneeling next to it.

“This is where it came from” he called out, making Doyoung walk over to him as he uncovered the manhole. He then turned on the flashlight and looked into the manhole, noticing something at the bottom.

“Someone's placed a conical - shaped charge in here” she stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, probably C-4. It's a big time explosive. Turned the manhole cover into a high velocity missile” he theorized. Doyoung hummed.

“Then the 18 wheeler just steered them right into it” he continued. Donghyuck then nodded again.

“Physics took over from there. It dumped the truck on its side, doors broke open, it's Christmas in Yadrioria” he grumbled before he chuckled, making Doyoung raise an eyebrow at him.

“What’s so funny?” he asked. Donghyuck looked up at him and smirked.

“What they didn't count on, was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs behind” he explained as he pointed to something in the corner of the manhole, making Doyoung shine his flashlight over it.

“That's a shock tube” he stated. Doyoung nodded.

“It's just a fancy word for fuse” he agreed. Donghyuck hummed in agreement.

“Someone had to be on the other end of that tube to flip a switch” he stated. Doyoung nodded as he placed his hands on his hips.

“And whoever it was needed to have a clear line of sight so they knew when to trigger it” he deduced. Donghyuck nodded again. 

“Exactly. Look, we follow that tube to a nearby manhole cover, maybe we'll find the initiator” he offered. Doyoung smiled slightly.

“Let's follow it, see where it goes” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	73. Case 11: No Man's Land - Part 2

Doyoung and Donghyuck walked around the scene, searching for another manhole cover until they found one not too far behind the 18-wheeler. Donghyuck then removed the manhole cover and noticed a yellow wire, so he reached inside and pulled out the wire while Doyoung walked over to a storm drain and knelt down, reaching inside, pulling out a small device. He then took the device and stood up, walking over to Donghyuck, holding it up.

“Found the initiator” he stated. Donghyuck hummed as he stood up, noticing where he had pulled the device from.

“It's a good vantage point. This is where it all began” he stated, motioning to where he and Doyoung were standing. Doyoung nodded as he looked at the device in his hand.

“All he had to do was flip the switch” he murmured before he noticed something on the device itself.

“There's some smudging” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“That’s good. Oil’s good. It enhances ridge detail” he explained. Doyoung huffed.

“Detail being the operative word. Let's hope there's enough” he mused. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Sicheng was in his lab, taking a piece of the hair pulled from Officer Chris’s hand and placed it into a centrifuge tube before taking a micropipette and placing a clean tip on it. He then put the tip into a solution and sucked up the correct amount of microliters needed before placing the solution into the tube and shutting it. Once he had done that, he placed the tube into a small centrifuge machine and turned it on. After a while, Donghyuck walked into his lab, standing next to him.

“Hey hyung, any, uh, any results on that hair?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Oh yeah. Cop killings don't wait” he replied as he grabbed the DNA result sheet, looking at it.

“DNA from the follicular tags matches this guy. He's got some gun possession charges” he stated as he handed the results over to Donghyuck, who looked them over.

“Wei Guanyu. One of his aka's is…Lang” he murmured. Sicheng glanced over at him when he heard the tone in his voice.

“You remember that name from somewhere?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, we put a guy away a couple years ago. Same last name” he explained. Sicheng huffed.

“Well, in this neck of the woods, Lang is a pretty common surname. I mean, it might as well be Smith” he reminded. Donghyuck nodded.

“I know, but just…roll with me on this” he asked. Sicheng shrugged as he turned to his computer.

“Okay, rolling” he replied as he typed “Wei Guanyu” into the database.

“This Guanyu became a U.S. citizen in '97” he stated. Donghyuck hummed.

“Pull up the next page, see where he's from” he instructed. Sicheng did as he was told and clicked onto the next page, pulling up Wei Guanyu’s booking record.

“El Satori, Bliawana. That's, that's Lang Xinyi's hometown” Donghyuck declared with a smirk. Sicheng frowned as he looked over at him.

“Who’s this Lang Xinyi?” he asked. Donghyuck huffed.

“Lang Xinyi. Ex-prince of Bliawana. Rode his father's coattails, uh, diplomatic immunity, that sort of thing, until Taeyong hyung figured out that his father, the general, wasn't his biological father” he explained.

“What’s he doing now?” Sicheng asked as he typed Lang Xinyi’s name into the database.

“Twenty-five to life. We put him behind bars on the murder of a woman named Tess Kimball. Ran her down with a car” Donghyuck explained. Sicheng hummed as the results for Lang Xinyi popped up, along with Wei Guanyu’s.

“Yeah, well, looks like killing people must run in his family. Lang Xinyi's spectra's in the system, and ten of the alleles are similar to Guanyu's” he stated as he printed out the results and handed it over to Donghyuck. Donghyuck looked at the result before he quickly pulled out his phone, dialing a number.

“This is good. Thanks” he thanked before he turned and headed out of the lab.

“Hyung, listen, we got a break” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“Officer Ryder worked under this very roof. DNA says you killed him” Jaehyun growled as he and Taeyong stood before Wei Guanyu. 

“I didn’t kill nobody” Wei Guanyu replied. 

“Didn't kill nobody? How the hell do you explain your hair in Officer Ryder's hand, you tell me that” Jaehyun growled as he slapped down a photo of Officer Ryder, with an enlarged section of the photo showing the hair in his hand.

“We also dusted his gun. Are those partial prints from your paws?” he continued. Wei Guanyu shook his head, making Jaehyun bristle more.

“Did you kill Ryder with his own gun?” he snarled. Guanyu said nothing before he shrugged.

“Cop wouldn't give it up” he replied. Jaehyun stiffened while Taeyong placed his hands on his hips.

“Guanyu, I want you to tell me about your cousin, Lang Xinyi” he instructed. Guanyu raised an eyebrow at him before he chuckled.

“You’re funny man” he stated, looking up at Taeyong, who was definitely not smiling. 

Wei Guanyu then shook his head.

“I got nothing to say” he declared. Jaehyun then shrugged as he motioned for an officer to bring him a few sheets of paper. After the officer left, Jaehyun cleared his throat.

“Lieutenant Lee requested a visitation list from Yadrioria Federal Prison. Looks like Lang Xinyi had some guests” he stated as he placed down the list in front of Wei Guanyu.

“Eleven visits from you, Guanyu. Five this week” Taeyong stated. Wei Guanyu gave him a look.

“What, I can’t visit my cousin?” he asked.

“He got you to hijack the weapons truck, didn't he?” Taeyong growled. Wei Guanyu said nothing as he looked away from him.

“He’s my cousin. That’s all” he replied finally.

“You’re a liar” Taeyong snarled.

“Prove it” Wei Guanyu whispered, making Taeyong and Jaehyun smirk.

“That is what I do” Taeyong replied before he exited the interrogation room, leaving Jaehyun stewing before Wei Guanyu.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Yadrioria Federal Prison, Taeyong leaned against the visitation room glass, arms crossed as he looked at Lang Xinyi, who was sitting at one of the visitation tables.

“You know, you got some nerve, dawg. C.O. pulled me out of my yard time for this little visit with you” Lang Xinyi spat. Taeyong then pushed off against the wall, arms still crossed as he stood before him.

“It turns out, Xinyi, that your cousin, Wei Guanyu, killed a police officer” he murmured.

Lang Xinyi was quiet before he gave Taeyong a look.

“What does my sorry, incarcerated ass have to do with that?” he snapped. Taeyong raised an eyebrow at him.

“Why don't you tell me?” he asked. Lang Xinyi shook his head as he faked shivers.

“Ooh, you've got me shakin' in my jumps now” he sneered. 

“What are you two up to?” Taeyong asked calmly, trying not to lose his temper.

“Blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah. 'Cause of you, I got nothing, Lee. I got no father, I got no home, I got no country. I don't owe you a damn thing” Lang Xinyi spat. Taeyong just sighed, almost as if he was disappointed.

“Xinyi, if you're after my attention, you have it. So why don't you be a man and tell me what you're up to” he instructed. Lang Xinyi just looked at him and slightly shook his head before he glanced over at the police officer in the visitation room with them.

“Hey, guard. You the one that set me up on a blind date with this hater? Bounce me up out of here, won't you, please?” he asked. The guard then stepped forward, taking Lang Xinyi by the armpit as he dragged him to his feet.

“Xinyi. This isn't over” Taeyong reminded. Lang Xinyi huffed.

“Lieutenant Lee. The master of the obvious” he replied before he turned and repeatedly stabbed the officer that took him to his feet, ramming him into a wall as he continued to stab him. Taeyong’s eyes widened as the other police officer in the visitation room ran over and grabbed Lang Xinyi, and pushed him into a wall, just as another police officer rushed over to help hold him back.

“I'm still entitled to a fair trial, right, Lee?” Lang Xinyi asked before he began to laugh maniacally. 

**“** **Take him”** Taeyong ordered, eyes glowing red. The officers dragged Lang Xinyi out of the room, still laughing maniacally, as Taeyong looked over at the officer clutching at his gut.

**“** **Get him medical attention, now”** he ordered. The third guard in the room, that rushed in to check for the weapon used to attack the guard, nodded and radioed his superiors while Taeyong snapped his fingers, transporting himself back to his crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

When Taeyong returned to the crime lab, Donghyuck was waiting for him, a frown on his face.

“Heard Lang Xinyi did a little prison PR today, shanked a guy. Think he's trying to make his bones with a high-profile kill?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“He did it behind closed doors, Donghyuck” he murmured. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow before he huffed.

“He do that for your benefit??” he asked, placing his hands on his hips. Taeyong nodded.

“I know he did” he replied before he looked Donghyuck in the eyes.

“When is he due to be arraigned?” he asked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“I don't know, but I can find out” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Good” he replied as he turned and walked away. 

“Where you going?” Donghyuck asked, frowning.

“I'm going to talk to the man who blew up the weapon's truck” Taeyong called back. 

~*~*~*~*~

In another part of the crime lab, Doyoung was on his cellphone.

“Jefferson and Fifth, I'm on my way” he stated, hanging up, just as Jaehyun and Taeil appeared next to him.

“Oh, Jaehyun, Taeil. Where are you heading?” he asked, looking over at his husband and Jaehyun.

“I have to testify on a cold case. Have to be at Department B of the Graham Courthouse. Jaehyun was nice enough to drop me off” Taeil explained. Jaehyun then tilted his head at Doyoung.

“Where are you heading?” he asked. Doyoung sighed.

“Eleven-year-old boy, shot in his front yard” he replied. Jaehyun and Taeil paused in their steps for a moment before they continued after him.

“A thousand guns hitting the street this morning. Fasten your seat belt, Doyoung, it's going to be a bumpy ride” Taeil declared as they headed for the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	74. Case 11: No Man's Land - Part 3

At the scene, Mark was taking pictures of the eleven-year-old, a sad look on his face as he pulled the camera away. He continued to stare at the little boy as Doyoung walked over to him, frowning when he saw how distraught he looked.

“You okay?” he asked. Mark was silent for a little while longer before he nodded and swallowed.

“Yeah” he replied as he stood to his feet. Doyoung gave him a look of sympathy, which he ignored as he pointed to one of the markers on the ground.

“There's an evidence tag right here” he croaked. Doyoung nodded.

“Yeah, it's from one of the stolen guns from the heist around the corner” he explained.

Mark hummed before he pointed to another marker.

“There's something else right here” he stated. Doyoung looked at the other marker and let out a little sigh of relief.

“Oh, good, it's a shoe print” he murmured before he tilted his head to study it a little better.

“It's certainly too large to be the little boy's” he mused.

“I'll run the tread” Mark declared before he looked at Doyoung.

“We’re gonna get this guy” he assured.

“Yeah” Doyoung agreed, a small smile on his face.

“No, you won’t” a voice called out, making Doyoung and Mark turn to see an older looking boy standing behind the police tape. They both then headed over to him, standing before him.

“Did you say something?” Doyoung asked gently.

“Cops don't care about murders down here. Why should Shuren be any different?” the boy replied.

“Was Shuren your brother?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Our brother” a young woman replied as she walked over to Mark and Doyoung, a younger boy holding her hand. Doyoung and Mark looked at the three siblings for a moment before Doyoung sighed.

“We're very sorry. Are your parents around?” he asked, concern on his face. The young woman sighed and shook her head.

“They died a few years ago. I'm Zheng Mei, I'm their guardian” she explained. 

“Did any of you happen to see what happened?” Doyoung asked gently.

“We were inside the house when we heard the shot. They won't take Zheng Ling and Zheng Xiang away from me, will they? I mean, I am their sister” Zheng Mei replied. Doyoung shook his head.

“Let’s worry about first things first. Let's find whoever did this to Shuren” he declared.

Zheng Mei was quiet before a small smile graced her face and she nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

After returning from the crime scene, Doyoung headed down to the audio/visual lab, heading over to where Mark was working on the computers, looking at the crime photos that he took, mainly of the shoe imprint in the dirt.

“Metcraft work boots. Those are prison issue, aren't they?” Doyoung asked as he sat down on the edge of the desk. 

“Yeah, and they're also the only thing that ex-cons take with them when they get out so I'm searching the Department of Corrections database” Mark replied. Doyoung shook his head.

“May not have to” he stated as he handed Mark a sheet of paper.

“Zheng Lan” Mark read aloud. Doyoung nodded.

“Mmhm. It's their dad. He did seven years, Yadrioria-West Prison for manslaughter. He just got out nine days ago” he explained. Mark’s eyes flashed.

“All right, then let's track him down” he ordered. 

~*~*~*~*~

Once Doyoung and Mark figured out who they were looking for, they got into a Hummer and drove out, searching for Zheng Lan, whom they soon found. After they found him, the officer that they had brought with them patted him down against the police car.

“What's this about?” Zheng Lan demanded as the police officer kept a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Your son Shuren is dead, Mr. Zheng” Doyoung spat as he walked over to him while Mark walked over to Zheng Lan’s truck, looking around it before he looked inside the trunk bed. He then pulled on a pair of gloves before he moved some equipment out of the way, revealing blood splatter on the bed.

“We got some blood” he called out. Doyoung glanced over at him before he looked down at Zheng Lan’s boots.

“Not to mention a footprint that matches your prison shoe. Have you got anything you want to tell me?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

“I got nothing to hide. I just got sprung out of Yadrioria-West. That hundred gate goes fast. So I stopped by my house, hit up my kid, Zheng Mei, for some cash” Zheng Lan explained.

“Did she give it to you?” Doyoung asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She wasn't home, you know? I was gonna wait, but then I heard this gun go off. And that was it for me. Last thing I want is to go back to lock-up” Zheng Lan replied. Mark then walked over to them, crossing his arms as well, eyes burning in anger.

“What about your son?” he asked. When Zheng Lan said nothing, Mark let out a snarl.

“You just left him there?” he exclaimed, fuming.

“What could I do?” Zheng Lan replied.

“Be a fucking human being, for starters” Doyoung spat. Mark then looked at the police officer.

“Lock him up” he ordered. The police officer nodded and led Zheng Lan towards the squad car.

“Oh, and impound the truck, please” Mark added. While Zheng Lan was being placed in the truck, Doyoung took a deep breath, calming himself, before he looked over at Mark.

“He's saying Zheng Mei wasn't home at the time of the shooting” he stated.

“She said she was” Mark replied before he sighed.

“I hate to say it, but, um I think the truth lies in that family” he stated. Doyoung nodded.

“Yeah” he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not updating yesterday. I was having a very bad day, so updating wasn't even on my radar. Hope you guys enjoy this update! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	75. Case 11: No Man's Land - Part 4

Back at the crime lab, Donghyuck was searching for the arraignment time for Taeyong when Sicheng walked over to him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Searching for the arraignment time for Lang Xinyi for Taeyong hyung” Donghyuck replied. Sicheng hummed.

“Well, Doyoung said that you were in the print lab working some of your magic” he stated. Donghyuck looked up at him and huffed.

“I was, but that remains to be seen. I took the one and only partial we found on the initiator and ran it through AFIS. Gave me this guy” he replied as he held up a file, handing it to Sicheng, who looked at it.

“Richard Williams?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded as he continued to search for the arraignment time.

“Yeah. Criminal history says he's been arrested for burglary and arson, but I think it's time to find out if he dabbles in explosives” he declared, just as he found what he wanted. He quickly printed the page and grabbed it before he stood up and headed towards the lab, Sicheng following behind him.

~*~*~*~*~

After Donghyuck and Sicheng tested the initiator, he contacted Taeyong, who had Richard Williams brought in for questioning. Once he was sitting in the interrogation room chair, Donghyuck placed a picture of the initiator before him.

“What's that? A garage door opener?” Richard asked, looking up at Donghyuck and Taeyong.

“It's an initiator. Fingerprints say that you handled it. Used in a gun heist this morning” Donghyuck stated.

“It was used to detonate a bomb” Taeyong added. Richard nodded.

“Yeah, heard about it on the news” he stated before he shook his head.

“I didn't blow up anything. I sold a bunch of these. Made 15 grand” he continued, pointing to the initiator.

“Who bought them, Richard?” Taeyong asked.

“Couple of guys from Bliawana. Paid cash. Knew exactly what they wanted. I should've held out for more” Richard replied, shaking his head at the thought of lost money.

“You detonated the bomb. You work for Lang Xinyi, don't you?” Taeyong asked, placing his hands on his hips.

“If I did, why would I ever admit to being a part of this heist? From what I saw on WFOR, pretty sloppy. Neighborhood walked off with half the cargo” Richard explained. Donghyuck huffed.

“We're interested in the cargo you did get” he stated. Richard smirked.

“Try zero” he replied. Taeyong then glanced over at Donghyuck.

“Swab him” he ordered. Donghyuck nodded as he snapped his fingers, summoning his kit, which he opened and removed a long sterile swab from. He then placed on gloves before he removed the swab from the box, all the while looking at Richard.

“Now, we can put Lang Xinyi's cousin at the scene he killed a cop. We can put you there, too. Hold out your hands” he ordered.

“For what?” Richard demanded as he held out his hands. 

“Gonna get your confession a different way” Donghyuck replied as he swabbed Richard’s hands before putting the swab back into its box.

~*~*~*~*~

After Richard was swabbed, Donghyuck and Taeyong headed to Donghyuck’s lab, where Donghyuck tested the swab. The results soon came back, which Donghyuck printed out to take a look at.

“Trace results show that Richard handled the explosives from the manhole cover. But the most interesting thing is that GC/MS says that his hands were covered in nitroglycerin. The LC/MS says that there were also traces of potassium perchlorate, which packs a bigger punch. You think it’s commercial?” he asked, looking at Taeyong, who stood on the other side of his lab table.

“It certainly does. It may be military ordnance. Do we have a list of weapons targeted for disposal?” Taeyong asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll bring it up” he replied, quickly typing away on his computer, pulling up the list that was to be disposed.

“That’s lot of weapons” he murmured. Taeyong nodded.

“I know, but Mr. Williams was only interested in one” he replied before he noticed something on the other computer that was showing him the list.

“Wait a minute, go back to that” he ordered. Donghyuck glanced up at him before he nodded and typed a few keys, going back to the page that Taeyong had requested. The list then highlighted a weapon, making Taeyong’s eyes widen.

“A LAW rocket. He stole a LAW rocket” he hissed. Donghyuck frowned.

“A rocket launcher? Williams wants that kind of firepower, it's to break into something” he stated.

“Or break someone out” Taeyong countered before he looked at Donghyuck.

“Figure out that arraignment time?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded and handed him the sheet that he had printed out earlier.

“Apparently Lang Xinyi is being walked over to the courthouse, Department B, for his arraignment as we speak” he explained before he shook his head.

“He planned the stabbing 'cause it's easier to escape from the courthouse” he mused. Taeyong nodded.

“Correct” he replied as he pulled out his phone.

“What are you doing?” Donghyuck asked, frowning.

“Calling the courthouse to tell them to evacuate the building immediately” Taeyong replied. When the courthouse security finally answered, Taeyong began speaking quickly.

“This is Lieutenant Lee, Yadrioria. We have an imminent bomb threat. Evacuate that building immediately” he ordered, hanging up the call just as his eyes widened and he looked around the crime lab.

“Where’s Jaehyun?” he asked. 

“Oh, I overheard him talking to Doyoung hyung. Said something about taking Taeil hyung to the courthouse for a cold case” Donghyuck replied. Taeyong’s eyes widened and he immediately dialed a number, putting his phone to his ear.

~*~*~*~*~

At the courthouse, Taeil and Jaehyun were walking into Department B, Taeil looking over at Jaehyun.

“Jaehyun, you don’t have to come with me you know” he stated. Jaehyun shrugged.

“I don’t mind. Besides, I’m your ride home, I can’t just leave you here” he replied, just as Taeil’s phone started ringing. Taeil frowned and pulled his phone out of his pocket, answering it.

“Hello?” he answered. 

_“Taeil? Taeil, where are you? Is Jaehyun with you?”_ Taeyong asked on the other line.

“Yeah, we just walked into a courtroom. What’s wrong, Taeyong?” Taeil replied, making Jaehyun look over at him.

“What’s going on?” he asked. Taeil glanced back at him and shrugged.

 _“Taeil, I need you to get out of there right now”_ Taeyong instructed, just as there was a loud sound coming towards them from the left, making Jaehyun and Taeil look over, just as the rocket from the stolen rocket launcher exploded into the courthouse, sending everyone flying and cutting off Taeyong’s phone call.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong kept the phone up to his ear, a look of fear on his face.

“Taeil? Taeil?” he repeated before he quickly put his phone away and rushed out of the lab, leaving Donghyuck standing there, a look of concern on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	76. Case 11: No Man's Land - Part 5

When Taeyong arrived at the courthouse and at Department B, he quickly rushed inside after paramedics and firefighters, who were already on scene.

“Taeil?” he called out, rushing inside the courtroom, looking around with fear in his eyes.

“Taeil?” he called out again, making Taeil, who was tending to one of the people, look up and quickly walk over to him.

“Taeyong” he breathed as he stood before his boss.

“Taeil. Are you okay?” Taeyong asked, looking his M.E. up and down.

“What the hell just happened here, Taeyong?” Taeil demanded, clearly shaken.

“That's what we're going to find out” Taeyong replied as he knelt next to the body that was covered in a grey sheet.

“It’s the bailiff” Taeil breathed.

“The bailiff, and his weapon is missing” Taeyong growled, just as an officer walked up to him.

“Lieutenant. Lang Xinyi is gone” he deadpanned. Taeil’s eyes widened as he looked over at Taeyong.

“Lang Xinyi” he repeated. Taeyong nodded as he stood to his feet.

“Lang Xinyi, Taeil, was scheduled to be arraigned in this courtroom” he explained before he looked at the officer.

“Put out a broadcast. He's armed and dangerous” he ordered. The officer nodded as he turned and walked away, pressing a button on his walkie-talkie, doing as Taeyong ordered. Once he was gone, Taeyong looked at Taeil.

“Taeil, you need to be looked at. Get looked at, okay?” he instructed. Taeil shook his head.

“Later. I'm okay, Taeyong. I'm needed here” he assured. Taeyong hummed before he looked around the courtroom.

“Where’s Jaehyun?” he demanded. Taeil frowned and shook his head.

“I don’t know…” he replied before he turned back to help some of the people who were injured in the blast. Taeyong gritted his teeth before he turned away, looking around.

“Jaehyun!” he called out, but there was no answer.

“JAEHYUN!” he called out again as he searched the courtroom, but once again, nothing. As he was looking, he noticed a black boot sticking out from underneath some broken planks, so he quickly rushed over to them and yanked them off, revealing Jaehyun, who had a wound on his temple and wasn’t moving. 

“Jaehyun!” he exclaimed as he knelt down next to his partner, reaching out to feel for a pulse in his neck, which thankfully, there was one, even though it was very faint.

“Oh Jaehyun” he whispered as he reached up and gently stroked Jaehyun’s cheek before looking over at the paramedics.

“I’ve got an officer down! He needs immediate medical attention!” he screamed. The paramedics quickly rushed over to him, placing the gurney down before carefully placing Jaehyun on top of it, rushing out of the courtroom so that they could get to the hospital in time to treat his injuries. Once Jaehyun was taken away, Taeyong walked over to the giant hole in the courtroom window and looked out, noticing a cement truck that was parked right across from the courthouse. His eyes widened and he quickly turned away, rushing out of the courthouse to across the street.

~*~*~*~*~

When he got there, Yuta was already there, pointing a gun at the passenger’s side door. He then opened the door and looked inside, but he saw nothing. He then looked back at Taeyong, who had his weapon drawn, and shook his head. Taeyong gritted his teeth before he noticed a metal plate with screws around it on the ground, making him look up to see trials of blood on top of the cement roller. He glanced over at Yuta and nodded before he took the device that rotated the barrel and turned it on, rotating the barrel until the barrel was rotated so that the open part was facing them. Just then, a charred hand fell out of the open part, making Taeyong and Yuta flinch before they both looked inside the barrel to find a charred corpse.

“This guy fired the rocket. Weapon's exhaust must've cooked him” Yuta stated as he put his gun back in its holster.

“More concerned about being concealed than his own safety, Yuta” Taeyong mused before he looked at him.

“I’m going to need surveillance tapes from the courtroom” he stated. Yuta nodded.

“I’ll get ‘em” he assured. Taeyong nodded as well.

“Good” he replied before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Zheng Mei was sitting before Doyoung in an interrogation room, looking outside to see her two younger brothers hugging. She then looked back at Doyoung.

“Are my brothers okay out there?” she asked. Doyoung nodded.

“They'll be fine. They've got an officer with them” he assured. Zheng Mei then shook her head.

“Why do we have to be here?” she asked.

“Because I know that you lied to me, Zheng Mei” Doyoung replied calmly. Zheng Mei blinked at him, making him sigh.

“Your father just got out of prison, but you told me he was dead” he continued. Zheng Mei huffed.

“My mom is. He might as well be” she grumbled.

“You also said that you were home today when the shot was fired. Where were you?” Doyoung inquired.

“I was working. I picked up an extra cleaning job. Two bus rides away. Big house, pays extra” Zheng Mei explained. Doyoung hummed.

“Can anyone verify that?” he asked. Zheng Mei shook her head.

“Nobody was there. Key was on top of the door frame. Money under the coffee can. Two 20s and a ten” she replied.

“Why didn't you tell me this before?” Doyoung asked, slightly disappointed. Zheng Mei sighed.

“I only have temporary custody of my brothers. If I get caught leaving them on their own, my father will get the boys” she explained. Doyoung was quiet and he looked upwards, hating himself for asking this next question.

“Did you shoot your little brother?” he asked. Zheng Mei’s eyes widened and she slightly shook her head before she looked away.

“Look, there was a weapons truck that overturned near your house today, and a lot of people scooped up weapons. People who aren't trained to use them. I realize that Shuren's shooting could have been an accident. And if you level with me, I can help you” Doyoung assured. Zheng Mei quickly shook her head.

“Nobody helps me” she spat. Doyoung sighed and shook his head before he looked over at Zheng Mei’s brothers outside, Zheng Mei doing the same.

~*~*~*~*~

“Well, the blood drops that they found in the back of the truck, those are from our victim, right?” Sicheng asked from where he was standing next to Mark at the Zheng’s house. Mark nodded.

“Yeah, DNA evidence confirms that. So we got the truck here to recreate the scene” he explained, motioning to Zheng Lan’s truck before handing Sicheng a photo.

“This is an evidence photo. The blood drops are gravitational” he stated. Sicheng studied the photo for a moment before he looked back up at Mark.

“So that means that Shuren was upright in the back of the truck, when he was shot” he stated. Mark was quiet before he nodded.

“Exactly. So where did the bullet come from?” he asked before he quickly walked over to the truck and stepped on the bumper before pulling himself into the truck bed as Sicheng took a dummy with a laser pointer sticking out of where Shuren was shot and handing it to him, which he then placed in the truck.

“Taeil's report said that the gunshot wound was from front to back and that the round lodged in his thoracic vertebrae” Sicheng stated as Mark rotated the dummy to fit Taeil’s autopsy report. When the dummy’s laser landed on the second-story window, Sicheng huffed and looked over at Mark.

“Had to have come from a second-story window. Just like that one” he stated. Mark was quiet before he hopped out of the trunk bed.

“I'm going to go check out that room” he declared as he headed towards the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	77. Case 11: No Man's Land - Part 6

When Mark entered the house, he immediately headed for the second-story room, opening the door and stepping inside. As he walked over to the window, Zheng Ling stepped inside.

“What do you want in my room?” he asked. Mark said nothing as he opened up the curtain’s allowing Zheng Ling to look out.

“Why is my dad's truck here?” he demanded. Mark then knelt down and pushed the bag that was in front of the window out of the way, allowing the laser light to come through the hole in the wall.

“This laser tells us that, uh…laser tells us that the, uh the bullet came from this room” he explained as he stood up and walked over to the boy. Zheng Ling was quiet before he hung his head.

“I found the gun in our trash barrel. I mean I just brought it up here to check it out” he explained as tears came to his eyes.

“I gonna miss my little brother. So stupid” he spat as he shook his head. Mark was quiet and ran a hand over his mouth before he shook his head.

“I don't think you're stupid. I think that you're probably just, uh probably just scared” he stated.

“I always swore I'd never go to prison…like my dad. But I deserve it” Zheng Ling croaked as he looked into Mark’s eyes. Mark quickly shook his head.

“No, you don't” he assured. Zheng Ling frowned at him.

“I killed my little brother!” he exclaimed.

“You know, uh, you don't go to prison for…for accidents” Mark murmured. Zheng Ling was quiet before he sighed.

“What happens now?” he asked.

“Well, I'm gonna take your statement. And then you're gonna tell your sister what happened” Mark explained. Zheng Ling said nothing before he nodded his head in agreement.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong was standing behind Yuta as he looked at the courthouse surveillance on his computer.

“Surveillance from the courthouse?” Taeyong asked.

“Yeah, but nothing from the courtroom. Those cameras were destroyed” Yuta replied. Taeyong nodded.

“I understand. Try the parking structure” he instructed. Yuta shook his head.

“I've been through that, too. No sign of Lang Xinyi” he replied.

“But that’s public parking. Try employee” Taeyong ordered. Yuta nodded and quickly typed on a few keys, pulling up the security footage of the employee section.

“Now you see your timecode says 6:00 a.m. Move it up to the time of the explosion” Taeyong instructed. Yuta nodded and typed a few more keys before shaking his head.

“Elevator doors, no one's there” he stated.

“Try the stairs” Taeyong suggested. Yuta clicked on the security camera for the stairs and Lang Xinyi immediately came into view.

“Taeyong, there he is. He's got someone with him” he stated.

“He's got his ride, Yuta” Taeyong growled as he and Yuta continued to watch the security footage to see Lang Xinyi shove the woman into the driver’s seat before he got into the back, the car soon driving away to reveal a number in the parking space.

“Taeyong, they were parked in space 127” Yuta declared. Taeyong growled and pulled out his phone, making to call Jaehyun when he realized that his partner was in the hospital. He then let out another growl before he called another number.

“Doyoung, he's got a hostage” he growled.

~*~*~*~*~

“What did we get on the parking space, Doyoung?” Taeyong demanded as he looked over at Doyoung as they walked outside the crime lab.

“Parking space belongs to a Cathy Gibson. She was the court stenographer for Lang's arraignment” Doyoung replied.

“Contact information?” Taeyong asked. Doyoung nodded.

“Yeah, home phone and cellphone” he replied as he held up a pad containing the information. Taeyong looked at the cellphone number before quickly punching it into his keypad on his phone, holding his phone up to his ear.

“Cathy. Cathy, this is Taeyong” he greeted.

 _“Cathy? Cathy, are you there? No. It's me, dude”_ a voice replied on the other line, making Taeyong’s face darken.

“Lang Xinyi” he snarled.

 _“I knew you'd find me. Looks like we're in play again”_ Lang Xinyi teased.

“What do you want, Lang Xinyi?” Taeyong snarled.

 _“You just be in front of the Golden Beach National Bank on Eleventh Street, and I'll get you up to speed, okay, compadre? And, Taeyong? Come alone. Don't be late or she dies”_ Lang Xinyi threatened. Taeyong’s eyes melted into red as he clutched at his phone.

**“** **Lang Xinyi, I want you to listen to me. If you harm this woman, you are going to die”** he warned.

 _“Are you going to keep making threats or you going to catch me?”_ Lang Xinyi teased before he hung up. As soon as he hung up, Taeyong let out a low growl so furious, the ground shook beneath his feet. He then quickly walked over to his Lamborghini and got inside, speeding off to meet Lang Xinyi where he was told to meet him.

~*~*~*~*~

When Taeyong arrived at the Bank that Lang Xinyi told him to meet him at, he quickly found the man and walked up to him, footsteps quiet as a mouse.

**“** **Lang Xinyi”** he growled as soon as he was standing behind the man. Lang Xinyi jumped slightly before he turned around and smirked at Taeyong, whose eyes were still red.

“This bank look familiar, Lee? It should. It's where you deposit your little city wage” he stated.

**“** **Where’s the girl?”** Taeyong demanded. Lang Xinyi shrugged.

“She's safe for now” he replied.

**“** **Why don’t you take me to her”** Taeyong suggested.

“Take it easy, huh? First I need you to do a little business for me. Now you're going to walk into that bank, and you're going to withdraw one million dollars from your account” Lang Xinyi instructed. Taeyong raised an eyebrow as his eyes returned to normal.

“That’s quite a city wage” he stated.

“I had it wired from overseas. See, the banks in this country got no love for me anymore, thanks to you. So I was forced to improvise” Lang Xinyi explained. 

“And why would I do this?” Taeyong asked. Lang Xinyi then pulled out his phone and opened it, heading to the “photo” app, which he opened to reveal a picture of Cathy, bound and gagged.

“That's why. She's cute, huh? She's tied up in the trunk of a Mercedes. Soon as I get my Benjamins, you get her. And, Lee my people are watching. You use your phone, she's all done” he stated. Taeyong sighed.

“Lang Xinyi, this is about you and me. Why don't we leave her out of this?” he suggested. Lang Xinyi then got up in his face, snarling as his eyes melted to black.

**“** **You took everything from me. And now it's time for you to give something back”** he snarled. Taeyong stared calmly at him.

“You can’t pull this off, Lang Xinyi” he stated. Lang Xinyi said nothing before he made a clicking sound with his mouth.

“Giddyup, cowboy” he teased. Taeyong huffed before he headed for the bank.

“And get me a mojito while you're in there, huh?” Lang Xinyi called out from behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	78. Case 11: No Man's Land - CASE CLOSED

When Taeyong stepped into the bank, he looked around, taking surveillance of all of Lang Xinyi’s men that were inside, watching to make sure that he didn’t screw up. Once he had counted them all, he headed over to one of the bank tellers, who pulled up his account.

“I have your account right here, Mr. Lee” she stated as she turned the computer screen to face him. Taeyong nodded as the teller turn her computer screen back to face her.

“And that overseas transfer came through without a problem. Just as you requested” she continued. Taeyong nodded again.

“Thank you very much. I'd like to make a withdrawal” he stated.

“In what amount?” the teller asked.

“$1 Million” Taeyong replied. The teller looked up in shock and Taeyong’s face told her that he was being completely serious.

“Certainly, Mr. Lee. But an amount that large will take some time…” she started when Taeyong discretely placed his badge on the counter.

“It’s okay” he assured. The teller nodded.

“I see. Wait here” she instructed as she turned and headed towards the back. Taeyong said nothing as he quietly slipped his badge back into his pocket before taking stock of the people in the bank again.

~*~*~*~*~

In the back, the bank teller told the officer in charge of the money about Taeyong, so he quickly got her all of the money and wrapped it up, slipping a tracker into one of the bundles before handing it to her. The teller then quickly began packing the money, glancing once over her shoulder at Taeyong before she went back to packing. Once he had gotten the money, Taeyong headed out of the bank and walked over to the sidewalk, dropping the money on the ground as a black van pulled up. The passenger window then rolled down, Lang Xinyi smirking at him.

“How's it feel to be a millionaire, Lieutenant? Kind of puts a spring in your step, don't it?” he asked before he looked at the person sitting in the backseat.

“Get the bag” he ordered.

“Where’s the girl?” Taeyong demanded as the person got out of the backseat and got back into the car.

“I already told you she's in the trunk of a Mercedes. Waiting for you, hero. In that garage” Lang Xinyi replied as he pointed to a parking garage across the way.

“And, Lieutenant Lee, she's only got five minutes worth of air left” he stated before he drove off. Once he was gone, Taeyong pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Donghyuck, Eleventh and Colby. We're on the clock” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

While waiting for Donghyuck to arrive, Taeyong searched the top of the parking garage, trying to see if he could find the Mercedes. As he was looking, Donghyuck came hauling ass up the ramp to the top level in his Hummer, driving over to where Taeyong was.

“Hyung!” he called out through the passenger window.

“She's not up here, Hyuck” Taeyong replied as he walked over to the Hummer and climbed up, holding onto the open window.

“Let’s go” he ordered. Donghyuck nodded and drove around, both men searching high and low for a Mercedes. Thankfully, they found one after a little while, making Donghyuck stop the car and Taeyong hop off. They then carefully walked over to the Mercedes, Taeyong’s weapon draw while Donghyuck carried a trunk lock pick.

“Xinyi said a Mercedes, right?” Donghyuck asked. Taeyong nodded.

“That's what he said. You call for backup?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, an ambulance, too” he replied before he sighed as they stood before the car.

“God, I hope she’s alive” he breathed.

“Me too” Taeyong agreed as he pointed his gun at the trunk while Donghyuck jammed the trunk pick into the lock, hoping to break it.

“Easy” Taeyong ordered. Donghyuck nodded as he continued to work with the trunk pick to try and get the trunk open.

“Cathy?” Taeyong called out. There was a muffled scream from inside, so thankfully, the men had found the right car.

“Hold on Cathy, we’re coming” Taeyong assured, just as Donghyuck broke the trunk lock.

“Open it” Taeyong ordered. Donghyuck nodded and quickly opened the trunk to reveal Cathy, who was thankfully, unharmed. 

“Donghyuck, you wait here for backup. There’s something I have to do” Taeyong declared. Donghyuck looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Revenge?” he asked.

 **“** **Of the highest order”** Taeyong replied as he snapped his fingers, disappearing from the garage.

~*~*~*~*~

Once he left the garage, Taeyong headed back to the bank and got into his Lamborghini, using the GPS tracker that he had placed in the money to track Lang Xinyi down. He followed the GPS and Lang Xinyi’s car for a while, because when you’re in a Lamborghini, it’s easy to catch up to someone. He drove behind Lang Xinyi’s car for a while and once it was just the two of them on an empty street, Taeyong parked his car in the middle of the street and got out, snapping his fingers, sending Lang Xinyi’s van flying through the sky, just like how Lang Xinyi had sent the weapon’s truck flying earlier that day. After the van landed and rolled for a little while, Taeyong stood there and waited until Lang Xinyi pulled himself out of the van, crawling army style on the asphalt away from the crushed van. As he tried to get away, Taeyong quickly walked over to him and stood before him, causing him to stop and look up at him.

“L-Lieutenant Lee” he croaked. Taeyong smirked as he pulled his gun out of his holster, pointing it right between Lang Xinyi’s eyes.

“You wouldn’t” Lang Xinyi croaked, shaking his head slightly before hissing in pain. Taeyong raised an eyebrow as he pulled the slide back on his gun, pointing it once more between Lang Xinyi’s eyes.

**“** **Wouldn’t I?”** he growled, eyes melting to red, before he pulled the trigger, hitting Lang Xinyi dead between the eyes.

**“** **That’s for my fallen officers. And for Jaehyun”** he growled before he put the safety back onto his gun and holstered it once more. He then snapped his fingers, causing the entire scene to disappear from existence, as if those criminals had never even exited. Once they were gone, Taeyong returned his eyes back to normal before he headed back to his Lamborghini and drove off, heading for the hospital. 

~*~*~*~*~

When Taeyong arrived at the hospital, he quickly parked his car before heading inside, immediately heading for the receptionist desk.

“I’m looking for Dr. Jung Jaehyun? He came in earlier today?” he asked, looking at the receptionist. The woman nodded.

“He down the hall to your right, first door. He’s regained consciousness, so you’ll be able to talk to him” she explained. Taeyong smiled and nodded to her in thanks before he followed her instructions, heading down the hall before turning to the first door. He then opened it carefully before peaking inside, smiling when he saw Jaehyun asleep on the hospital bed. There was a bandage on his head to protect and heal the head wound, which was minor, thank God, and a few cuts and scrapes over his face and body, but other than that, he was perfectly fine. Taeyong then walked inside and over to Jaehyun’s bed, sitting down in the chair next to the bed. He then reached out and gently took Jaehyun’s hand in his, stroking it with the back of his thumb. At the touch, Jaehyun cracked open an eye and when he saw Taeyong, he smiled.

“Taeyong” he murmured. Taeyong looked back at him, smiling slightly.

“Jaehyun. How are you feeling?” he asked. Jaehyun yawned.

“Tired. And my head hurts” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Well, a head injury will do that to you. You should rest so that you can feel better in the morning” he instructed. Jaehyun smirked softly before he shut his eyes again, letting out a soft sigh.

“Taeyong?” he asked softly.

“Hmm?” Taeyong replied, glancing over at him.

“Thank you…for saving me. For being here” Jaehyun replied. Taeyong smiled as he gave Jaehyun’s hand a squeeze.

“I’ll always be here, Jaehyun. I’ll always be right here” he assured. Jaehyun smiled sleepily at that answer before the morphine took over and he fell back asleep, snoring softly. Taeyong watched his partner sleep for a little while before he laid his head down on Jaehyun’s arm and shut his eyes, soon falling asleep, never once letting go of Jaehyun’s hand.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	79. Case 12: Bone Voyage - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Case 12, Case 13, and Case 14 will be crossover cases; sort of a Trilogy, if you will.

It was a hot and sunny day in Yadrioria as a young girl in a black car was speeding down an empty backroad, practically driving on the rims of her wheels, since her tires were blown out. She continued to try and drive the car, glancing back at her every now and then, but she was slowly losing control.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at the crime lab, a woman came running in, running over to one of the police officers.

“Where’s the desk sergeant?” she asked. The officer then pointed over to one of the police officer’s desk.

“Right over there, ma’am” he replied. The woman nodded and rushed over to the man’s desk.

“Someone help me, please” she begged, making the man up at her.

“What seems to be the problem, ma’am?” he asked.

“My daughter’s missing. She’s only twenty-two, blond…” the woman started when the officer shook his head.

“Ma’am, there’s nothing we can do until she’s gone 48 hours” he explained gently.

“But she’s out there, in danger, don’t you understand?!” the woman exclaimed. The officer nodded.

“I do understand, ma’am—” he started. 

“I’M TALKING ABOUT MY DAUGHTER! WHY WON’T ANYONE LISTEN!” the woman shouted.

“Ma’am” a gentle voice called out, causing the woman to turn and see Taeyong standing before her.

“I’m listening. My name is Lieutenant Lee, how can I help?” he asked, voice gentle. The woman looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“My daughter’s in trouble. Her name is Ashely Tanner; this is her picture” she explained, handing Taeyong a photo of her daughter.

“We’re from Praihburn, up near Arkridge. She’s just a small town girl. Something terrible has happened. I just know it has” she sobbed. Taeyong frowned.

“Why do you say that?” he asked gently. The woman, Mrs. Tanner, sniffled.

“Because she left me this message” she explained before she pulled out her phone and played a message for him.

_“_ _Momma, it’s me Ashely. I’m coming home, something’s happened here, uh, something bad. I need you Momma; I’ll be there in an hour”_ a scared woman’s voice stated on the phone. 

“She never made it. That was yesterday” Mrs. Tanner snapped. Taeyong frowned.

“What was she doing in Yadrioria?” he asked. 

“She drove down all by herself; she was going to be a model” Mrs. Tanner replied. Taeyong hummed.

“Is it possible that she’s just run away?” he asked gently. Mrs. Tanner shook her head.

“Lieutenant, I know my daughter. She would never, ever do anything to leave me to wonder, she would never—” she started, tears streaming down her face. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay. What kind of car was she driving?” he asked. 

“A Nissan; here’s the license number” Mrs. Tanner replied, handing him a small slip of paper.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, out on the road, the young woman in the black car, Ashley, pulled over to the side of the road, just as another black car pulled up behind her. She got out of the car and shaded her eyes with her hand, since it was so bright and sunny outside. As soon as the other person got out of the car, Ashely’s eyes widened in fear and she turned, running down the road.

~*~*~*~*~

“Tell me you’ll help me” Mrs. Tanner begged. Taeyong looked at her and nodded.

“I will” he assured.

~*~*~*~*~

_“_ _Attention all units, this is an interagency alert for jurisdictions. Be on the lookout for a Nissan with the license plate BD9-15O”_ a voice barked over all police radios. Meanwhile, on the road that Ashely was previously driving down, a Marine noticed a black Nissan pulled on the side of the road, so he stopped and got out, walking over to the car, immediately recognizing the license plate number. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

_“_ _Yadrioria”_ a police officer answered.

“Yeah, I found an abandoned car, license number BD9-15O” the Marine declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Doyoung walked over to Taeyong, who was walking out of his office as soon as he heard about the phone call.

“Jaehyun said you put out a bolo on a young lady” he declared. Taeyong huffed.

“Have we found her?” he asked.

“Found her car in the glades, apparently there’s blood at the scene” Doyoung murmured. Taeyong hummed.

“Okay, go back to the scene; turn over every rock” he ordered.

“We working it as a murder?” Doyoung asked. 

“Trying to prevent one” Taeyong growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	80. Case 12: Bone Voyage - Part 2

Out in the glades, Donghyuck, and Doyoung arrived at the scene, Doyoung and Donghyuck taking picture of the car.

“Well, both back tires are off the rims. First responder did a good job, he said he spotted tire treads several miles back” Donghyuck declared. Doyoung hummed and motioned to one of the tire treads.

“I got triangular indentations on this rim; it looks like she ran over a spike strip” he mused before he motioned to the blood splatter on the ground.

“The blood splatter, it extends out the pavement” he continued. Donghyuck looked down at it and hummed.

“Yeah, medium velocity. Blood volume says headwound. We’re looking at BFT” he declared before he turned and looked at the car.

“Hyung, you seeing this?” he asked before he began taking photos of the front of the car.

“What?” Doyoung asked as he took pictures of the blood splatter.

“Parking stub. Town South Hotel. Dated yesterday” Donghyuck replied as he took the stub out from underneath the windshield wiper. Doyoung hummed.

“Maybe that’s where she got the tire damage” he mused. He then looked down at the dirt beside the car and frowned.

“You know, Donghyuck, there’s a lot of overlapping footprints. I think she was attacked” he declared. Donghyuck walked over to stand beside him and tilted his head, noticing what he was talking about.

“Looks like two sets. One male, one female. Looks like she was fighting off a single attacker” he mused. Doyoung nodded as he and Donghyuck began to walk along the car, studying the dirt.

“That’s where the fight went out of her and the tracks turn to drag marks. And then they disappear here” he declared. 

“There was a second car” Donghyuck breathed. Doyoung frowned.

“I’m thinking she may have been abducted; there’s a possibility she’s still alive. I’m gonna run her cellphone and credits and send someone out to the hotel” he declared. Donghyuck nodded.

“I’m gonna figure out what kind of weapon our attacker used” he declared. Doyoung nodded in agreement.

“Great” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, down in an empty lab, Donghyuck placed a model dummy head on a table before picking up a bat. He then swung the bat at the head, shattering the “skull”, causing blood to spray all over him as well as the floor. He then removed his glasses and looked at the splatter before he hummed and pulled out his phone, pressing the “voice record” app.

“Applied mechanical force using a metal bat produced medium velocity spatter, average range. Not consistent with the blood pattern at the scene” he stated before he put his phone away and placed the bat down, picking up a metal pipe. He then swung that one, recorded the data, picked up a hammer, recorded the data for that swing, picked up a tire iron and recorded that swing before finally picking up a piece of board and swinging it at the broken dummy head. Once he was finally done collecting the data, he took off his glasses and let out a huff. He was definitely gonna need a shower.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Town South Hotel, Yuta waited patiently for one of the valets to bring a woman her car, and once she got her car, he stepped away and walked over to Yuta.

“Welcome to our hotel. Can I take your stub?” he asked. Yuta shook his head.

“Not here for a car, pal. Looking for a girl” he replied. The valet chuckled.

“Who isn’t, man?” he replied before he began to head towards his booth when Yuta pulled out his badge, showing it to the valet before he put it away.

“This girl’s missing. Recognize her?” he asked, summoning a photo of Ashley. The valet shook his head.

“You know, I don’t really notice faces, my jobs all about the stubs and keys” he explained, trying to head to the booth when Yuta cut him off again.

“Well her stub says that she took a car out of your lot yesterday. And I also think she ran over a spike strip” Yuta explained. The valet huffed. 

“People take off the wrong way all the time man. I park ‘em and go get ‘em, I don’t get payed to try and stop ‘em” he grumbled, trying to get to his booth for the third time when Yuta put a hand on his chest, stopping him with a flash of silver eyes.

“You have no video surveillance out here, so you’re the only help I got. Understand?” he snarled. The valet gulped and nodded. That satisfied Yuta, so he took his hand off the valet’s chest and waved his hand again, summoning a picture of Ashley’s car, showing it to the valet.

“You recognize it? Jog your memory?” he asked. The valet stared at the picture before he nodded.

“Oh yeah, yesterday! Yesterday, right after I started my shift, there was a hottie in a real hurry. Beyond that, look, I got nothing” he stated before he walked around Yuta and headed to his booth. As he walked away, Mark and Sicheng walked over to him.

“How’d it go with the valet?” Mark asked. Yuta sighed.

“He remembers her driving out, but besides that, he’s as dumb as a spoon” he spat. Sicheng shot him a look before he sighed.

“Alright, we’ll go check with the front desk” he declared before walking off. Mark nodded and followed after Sicheng, both men heading inside the hotel and over to the front desk.

“Good morning! Welcome to the Town South Hotel” the woman greeted. Sicheng smiled before flashing his badge.

“We’re looking for a missing girl, her name’s Ashley Tanner, we have reason to believe she might have stayed here in this hotel” he stated. The woman behind the front desk hummed as she quickly checked her computer.

“Ms. Tanner was with us for a week. Single, with a city view, then she upgraded to a waterfront suite” she declared. Mark frowned.

“Who paid for that upgrade?” he asked. The woman looked back down at her computer, narrowing her eyes.

“Her suite was complements of Mr. Jimmy Burris” she replied before looking back up at Mark and Sicheng.

“Burris still here?” Sicheng inquired. The woman hummed and quickly checked her computer before nodding.

“He just charged a round of drinks out by the pool” she replied. Sicheng and Mark nodded to her.

“Thank you” they thanked before they turned and headed toward the pool, grabbing Yuta on the way.

~*~*~*~*~

By the pool, Jimmy Burris and a blonde woman in a black bikini were talking over drinks.

“With a bang-up bod like that, you could make some serious bucks” he stated. The woman smiled.

“People always tell me that” she replied. Jimmy chuckled.

“The difference is, I can actually make it happen” he explained. The woman looked at her in shock.

“Really?” she exclaimed. Jimmy chuckled again before he held out his hand.

“I’m Jimmy” he greeted. 

“Molly; pleasure” the woman replied, shaking his hand. Jimmy then reached into his back pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to her. 

“Here’s my card, where I can make all your dreams come true” he declared. Molly smiled.

“Thank you” she thanked, just as Mark, Yuta, and Sicheng walked up to them.

“Excuse me. You Jimmy Burris?” Mark asked. Jimmy looked at them before he nodded.

“Yes I am” he replied. Yuta smirked.

“This conversation’s over” he declared, motioning with his head for Molly to get lost. Molly thankfully got the hint and stood up, walking away from the conversation, leaving Jimmy with the three CSIs.

“You paid for the room of a young girl by the name of Ashley Tanner?” Sicheng asked. 

“Ashley Tanner…yeah, she’s uh, she’s one of my girls. She’s a new recruit, she’s a couple of bookings away from a magazine cover actually” Jimmy replied. Mark huffed.

“Yeah, well, she’s missing” he deadpanned. Jimmy frowned.

“She’s missing? No, no, no, that’s terrible” he declared, taking off his sunglasses to look at the three CSIs.

“When’s the last time you saw her?” Yuta asked. 

“That’d be last night” Jimmy answered. Sicheng frowned.

“Where?” he demanded. Jimmy huffed.

“Her room” he replied. Mark hummed.

“You know what, Jimmy, time to take a little walk” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	81. Case 12: Bone Voyage - Part 3

After leaving the pool, the hotel manager, Jimmy, Yuta, Sicheng, and Mark headed up to Ashely’s room. When they got there, the manager knocked on the door, alerting of whoever was inside of their presence.

“Yadrioria Police Department!” Mark called out. When there was no answer, Mark looked over at the manager nodded, giving him permission to open the door. Yuta, Mark, Sicheng, and Jimmy stepped inside, the three CSIs immediately looking for Ashley.

“Ashely!” Yuta called out. 

“Ashley!” Mark called. 

“Ashely!” Sicheng shouted. When there was no answer, they decided to look around inside.

“This place is trashed” Sicheng murmured as Mark headed into the bedroom, only to find it empty. 

“She’s not here” he declared to Yuta and Sicheng when he walked back out. Yuta hummed before he noticed something on one of the tables in the room.

“What’s this?” he asked, picking up a bottle of spirits and showing it to Jimmy.

“Tequila bottle” he declared before he placed it down and picked up a cigar.

“Cigar. Looks like you guys had a time” he mused. Jimmy huffed.

“It wasn’t party with kids, okay?” he sneered. Yuta shot him a glare as inside the bedroom, Sicheng went through the clothes that were in the drawers. When he couldn’t find anything, he walked over to the bed and looked around before finding a plastic bag on the bed.

“A plastic bag with a lipstick smear and a blond hair” he declared, looking over at Jimmy, who rolled his eyes.

“Look, I already told you guys, Ashely and I had a little fun together, but it’s no big deal” he replied. Sicheng narrowed his eyes.

“Really? What kind of fun involves plastic bags over a young girls head?” he demanded.

“Look, the girls a freak. I got nothing to hide” Jimmy declared, making Sicheng, Mark, and Yuta look at him.

“Here, right here” he stated as he pulled out his phone and clicked the photo’s app, playing a video for them. On the video, it showed Ashley laughed and playing with the plastic bag over her head, making Mark, Sicheng, and Yuta uncomfortable.

“Okay, put it away. We get it” Mark ordered. Jimmy nodded and turned off his phone before putting it away.

“Okay good. The only thing I’m guilty of is giving a girl what she wants” he declared.

Sicheng huffed.

“Well, you’re a suspect now, so I wouldn’t even think about leaving town” he instructed.

Jimmy looked at him in shock.

“What?” he asked before he shook his head.

“No, I can’t stay put, I got business all over the world, I’m sorry” he apologized. 

“Your business is on hold until we let you know” Mark growled, making Jimmy look over at him before sighing.

“Fine” he agreed before he pointed at Sicheng.

“Oh, hey, just wanted to let you know, you are one smoking babe. I could get you a magazine cover like that” he stated, snapping his fingers. Sicheng blinked, shocked, as Yuta walked over to him and smiled, his eyes flashing silver as his smile turned a little wicked.

“Sorry, but my baby’s taken” he purred. Sicheng blushed as Mark let out a cackle of a laugh while Jimmy just looked at little imitated, since Yuta’s smile looked at little fanged. 

“Alright, boys, can you take this scumbag out and I’ll bag everything up?” Sicheng asked, clearing his throat to calm his heating cheeks.

“Let’s go, heff” Mark ordered, motioning for Jimmy to exit the room, Yuta following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, down in his lab, Sicheng took cigar from the scene and a pair of forceps, removing some of the tobacco from inside the cigar before placing it into a microcentrifuge tube before filling the tube with solution. He then placed the tube into the DNA centrifuge machine and pressed the “start” button, running DNA analysis on the tobacco. Once the analysis was complete, he ran the DNA through CODIS and came up with a match.

~*~*~*~*~

“I was just in town for a company golf tournament. What’s the problem?” the man they brought in asked as he sat before Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“We found your DNA on a cigar in a young lady’s hotel room, Mr. Cooper” Jaehyun stated. 

“A young girl that is now missing” Taeyong added, looking over at the man, Nick Cooper.

“This guy, Jimmy Burris, said he could get me a girl; show me a good time. Said she was…”anything goes”. He lied; she was just a scared little kid” Nick explained. Jaehyun and Taeyong shared a look before Taeyong looked at Nick.

“Where. Is. Ashley Tanner?” he demanded. Nick shook his head.

“I don’t know” he exclaimed. Jaehyun let out a growl.

“You follow her to the glades and ran her off the road?” he snarled. Nick shook his head, eyes wide.

“NO! No!” he exclaimed. Taeyong crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“What did you do with her?” he asked.

“I didn’t do anything! I swear on my…on my wife and daughter, I didn’t. I just want to go home” Nick whimpered. Taeyong hummed before he and Jaehyun turned their backs to him.

“Well, there’s your evidence. Burris is not a modeling agent, guys a pimp. You want me to bring him in?” Jaehyun asked softly. Taeyong huffed and looked up at him.

“For what, pandering? He’ll be out in forty minutes” he growled softly. Jaehyun sighed heavily.

“What do you want to do about him?” he asked, motioning back to Nick. Taeyong turned to look at the man, who looked nervous and scared at hell, and stared at him, eyes flashing red.

“I want to keep him” he growled. Nick looked at him in horror as Jaehyun nodded.

“You got it, babe” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Doyoung was walking through the lab when Yuta walked over to him. 

“Hey Doyoung” he greeted, making Doyoung look over at him.

“Yeah?” he replied. 

“So, I ran that name, “Ashley Tanner” you asked for” Yuta started. Doyoung hummed.

“Anything pop?” he asked.

“Small stuff, cellphone records, credit card purchases. The last thing was a food and beverage from the hotel” Yuta replied. Doyoung hummed again.

“So nothing since then?” he asked. Yuta shook his head.

“No, sorry” he replied. Doyoung sighed.

“Okay” he agreed, just as Yuta’s computer dinged, making him look up.

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m getting something right now” he declared as he rushed over to his computer, clicking his keyboard.

“Credit card just approved! Newhall Beach” he declared, Doyoung immediately coming to his side.

“Yuta, you absolute savior. That’s our first break” he breathed.

~*~*~*~*~

At the beach, Taeyong walked over a young woman who looked like Ashley Tanner from the back.

“Ashley?” he called out, making the girl turn around.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“Ashley Tanner?” Taeyong inquired. The girl frowned.

“Yeah” she agreed as the man with her looked at Taeyong.

“You got some kind of problem?” he sneered, just as Jaehyun appeared behind him.

“No, but you do. That’s not Ashley Tanner” he deadpanned, motioning to the girl. The girl looked down in shame as Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Credit card theft is a crime” he continued.

“Where is she?” Taeyong demanded. The girl turned to look at him and shook her head.

“No idea. I don’t even know her” she replied. Taeyong raised an eyebrow, looking at her like a disappointed parent.

“Why are you using her credit card then?” he asked. The girl sighed.

“We found a purse laying on the grass, exit 14. At the rest stop” she explained.

“What, you two were just…skipping through the meadow?” Jaehyun sneered.

“Get up” Taeyong ordered, but neither the girl nor the man moved.

**“** **Get up”** Taeyong snarled. The girl sighed and stood up as Jaehyun yanked the man off his stool and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

“We cooperated, shouldn’t that count for something?” the man exclaimed.

“It just bought you a trip downtown” Taeyong declared as Jaehyun wrenched the man away from the table, Taeyong motioning for the girl to follow him.

~*~*~*~*~

After figuring out where Ashley’s purse was found, a group of YPD Academy cadets went sent out to the scene, where Yuta and Mark were waiting for them.

“Alright everybody, listen up! This a photo of Ashley Tanner; her purse was found at this rest stop. She is missing; we will find her. You’ll walk forward, keep your eyes down. If you see anything, blow your whistle. Let’s go!” Mark ordered. After his little speech, the cadets were dispersed to look around the rest stop, Mark and Yuta joining them in the search. At one point, one of the cadets noticed something, so he quickly blew his whistle, making Mark rush over to him.

“Cadet. What’ve you got?” he asked. 

“Possible skull fragment” the cadet replied. Mark looked down and looked at the fragment before he frowned.

“Cadet, this is a turtle shell” he deadpanned. The cadet blushed.

“Sorry sir” he apologized. Mark sighed before he turned and headed back to his quadrant. Everyone continued searching until Yuta found something, immediately blowing his whistle.

“MARK!” he shouted. Mark came running towards him, both CSIs looking at a severed arm that Yuta had found floating in the water.

“Minimal blood. Means this arm was cut off somewhere else and dropped here. Shoulder joint’s still attached to the remains…” Yuta murmured. Mark sighed.

“You wanna know what the worst part is?” he asked, looking up at him. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm?” he replied.

“It’s definitely Ashely Tanner’s arm. You see the birthmark right there?” Mark asked, pointing to a dot on the arm. Yuta nodded. Mark sighed again.

“Same as in the photo” he declared. Yuta made a face before he took multiple pictures of the arm, just as a whistle blew multiple times, making both he and Mark look up.

“Hey, we got another find. Get this bagged” Yuta ordered, looking at a cadet. The cadet nodded as Yuta and Mark headed over to where the whistle blew, only to find a severed leg.

“What the fuck…” Mark whispered as Yuta bent down, taking multiple pictures before brushing away the leaves and dried grass that covered it.

“Visible decomp. Been here over a week, easy” he mused. 

“Ashley’s only been missing a day. This leg doesn’t belong to her” Mark declared from where he was standing behind Yuta. He then pulled out his phone and put it to his ear, making Yuta look up at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Calling Taeyong. This just went from a missing person to a double murder” Mark declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the crime lab, Taeyong stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air when he saw Ashley’s mother. He let out a soft groan before he slowly walked over to her, noticing the tears in her eyes.

_‘_ _Fuck me’_ he thought to himself. However, he didn’t have to say anything because the moment she saw his face, she threw her head back and let out a keening moan. Taeyong quickly bundled her in his arms and held her as she sobbed, her arms coming around him as she buried her face in his neck.

_‘_ _This is the one part of the job that I absolutely hate’_ he thought to himself as he held and comforted the sobbing woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	82. Case 12: Bone Voyage - Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back? Back again?

Down in the morgue, Donghyuck walked over to Taeil and raised an eyebrow.

“Hyung, were you able to ID our Jane Doe?” he asked. Taeil shook his head.

“Not yet, but there is a tiny butterfly tattoo above the ankle” he stated, pointing to the decomposed foot to where a small butterfly tattoo could be seen. Donghyuck hummed.

“Oh yeah, that should definitely tell us something” he agreed. Taeil then sighed.

“Now, DNA did confirm this is Ashley Tanner’s arm” he stated, motioning to the arm in front of him.

“And what’d you find?” Donghyuck asked. 

“Sever points shows blue-black hematoma, non-gravitational blood trails; evidence of circulation” Taeil explained. Donghyuck looked at him in shock.

“She was alive when they did this to her?! That’s horrible” he exclaimed. Taeil scoffed.

“Understatement” he murmured. Donghyuck then crossed his arms.

“If she was conscious then, she must have struggled…” he mused. Taeil nodded in agreement as he motioned to Ashely’s forearm.

“Bruising on her forearm is defensive” he assured. Donghyuck hummed as he slipped on a pair of gloves so that he could touch the arm.

“When I did the blood splatter test, I confirmed it was a heavy object that was used to hit Ashley; something with an inch to a half-inch in diameter” he explained. Taeil hummed in thought.

“Perhaps a pipe?” he offered. Donghyuck shook his head.

“I don’t know. This bruise looks more like a tire wrench” he murmured as he looked down at the bruising on the arm.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down at the Town South Hotel, Sicheng popped open the trunk of Jimmy’s car as Taeyong looked on.

“Yeah, go ahead, search your asses off. You ain’t gonna find squat” Jimmy declared as Sicheng pulled a tire iron out of his trunk, shining his flashlight on it. He looked it over before he tsked.

“Tire iron’s clean. No blood on it, hyung” he stated, looking up at Taeyong.

“That’s right, I told you. Okay, my voice, maybe, but I never raised a hand to my girls” Jimmy declared.

“Shut up, Jimmy” Taeyong snarled before he looked at one of the officers.

“Hold him” he ordered. The officer nodded as Taeyong motioned for Sicheng to follow him over to the valet booth, where there was a tire iron inside. Sicheng hummed and knelt down, pulling out a swab from its protective packaging before swiping it inside the tire iron head. He then pulled it out and looked at it before he held it up; the cotton part bright red. The valet that Yuta talked to earlier shook his head.

“I have no idea how that got there” he declared. Taeyong scoffed.

“Maybe it was after you attacked Ashley in the Everglades” he mused. The valet looked at the tire iron before he shook his head again.

“Wanna know who attacked that girl? Talk to Burris. He recruited her to be a model then forced her to turn tricks” he spat. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“Sounds like you know an awful lot about it” he stated as he bagged the tire iron. The valet huffed.

“He didn’t want her to run, give him up to the cops, so he dropped a Benjamin in my pocket to flatten her tires. But that’s it, that’s all I did for the guy” he assured.

“That’s not all you did” Taeyong interrupted, making the valet look at him with wide eyes as he pointed to him.

“Stay put” he ordered before he walked back over to Jimmy and the officers, giving them a slight nod. He didn’t even have to say anything before they were both slamming Jimmy into the side of a nearby squad car.

“Oh come on! What are you hooking me up for?!” Jimmy exclaimed as the officers began to handcuff him.

“You turned Ashley into a hooker. She tried to run and you killed her, Jimmy” Taeyong deadpanned, eyes glowing red in anger. Jimmy let out a huff of a laugh.

“Yeah, you try proving that, Lieutenant Lee” he sneered.

**“Jimmy, like I said before, shut up”** Taeyong snarled.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, the young woman and young man who had taken Ashely’s credit card walked over to the desk sergeant, who slid them a clipboard with a property sheet to sign.

“Sign right there and right there for your property” he stated. The young woman nodded and signed the sheet before taking the bag that the officer handed her, not realizing that she and the man were being watched by Jaehyun and Doyoung. As the young woman looked down at her property, she frowned, making Doyoung walk over to her.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked. 

“Why has there always got to be something wrong?” the girl snapped before she and the young man walked away. Doyoung and Jaehyun blinked before they looked at one another.

“What the hell was that?” Doyoung whispered. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No idea” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

“Heard we brought in a suspect on our Jane Doe” Taeil declared as Doyoung walked into his morgue. Doyoung nodded.

“We did and I’m wondering if you can connect him to our murder” he replied. Taeil smiled before he walked over to the decomposed leg, removing the sheet that covered it.

“Speaking of our Jane Doe, take a look at this” he instructed as he pointed to the severed part of the leg.

“I tested her hemorrhagic tissue. Sever site shows no sign of bruising” he declared. Doyoung studied it before he hummed.

“There’s no blood flow. So, she was dismembered postmortem” he deduced. Taeil smiled fondly.

“Circle gets the square” he praised. Doyoung blushed before he frowned.

“I don’t get it; why would our killer change his M.O.?” he asked. Taeil shrugged.

“Maybe he was interrupted?” he offered. Doyoung hummed.

“Maybe he was altering his signature” he mused before he looked down at the foot.

“Taeil, have you got any idea what that residue is on her foot?” he asked. Taeil frowned and leaned over to look at the foot before he reached onto his medical cart and grabbed a small scalpel and a piece of paper, scrapping off some of the residue from the foot.

“Looks like some kind of alkaline, but I can’t be sure” he replied as he carefully fold up the piece of paper. Doyoung hummed.

“I’ll take it to trace. Maybe they can figure it out” he murmured. Taeil nodded before he handed Doyoung the residue, Doyoung taking it with a smile.

“Thank you. Love you” he bid before he turned and walked out of the morgue. Taeil smiled.

“Love you too” he murmured. 

~*~*~*~*~

In trace, Sicheng was looking at the residue underneath a microscope, humming as he studied it.

“Your unknown trace is…salt. And sand” he declared. Doyoung, who was in the lab with him, frowned.

“From a beach? Any one in particular?” he asked. Sicheng hummed.

“Let me see if I can narrow it down for you. My old crony, the trusty ICP” he declared as he placed the sample into a beaker before pouring solution into the same beaker, watching as the residue and solution began to bubble and hiss.

“Ooh” Doyoung murmured. Sicheng’s lips quirked up in a smile before he placed an ICP reader into the solution, the computer immediately beeping with a result.

“Wow. Check out that salt concentration; it’s five times higher than seawater” Doyoung murmured as he looked at the computer. Sicheng hummed.

“I’ve only seen that high a concentration in natural salt flats” he replied. Doyoung nodded slowly.

“Salt flats are desert terrain. I mean, that’s a long way from Yadrioria” he mused. 

“I’m also getting iodine and…plutonium” Sicheng continued, frowning at the last element. Doyoung frowned as well.

“Okay, so how would our mystery leg get covered in salt and plutonium?” he demanded. Sicheng shrugged and shook his head.

“Radioactive salt flat?” he offered. Doyoung was quiet before he hummed.

“Zeshana was the primary test site for nuclear devices in the ‘50s and they have salt flats” he replied. Sicheng pointed to his results.

“This kind of plutonium has a half-life of 89 years, which means that that soil could still be contaminated” he stated. Doyoung hummed.

“So, our girl spent time in the Zeshana desert” he mused. Sicheng nodded.

“It would appear so” he agreed. Doyoung smiled.

“Thanks Sicheng” he thanked before he turned and walked out.

~*~*~*~*~

“Trace from our Jane Doe’s leg may have come from, get this, Zeshana” Doyoung stated as he and Taeyong were walking through the crime lab. Taeyong hummed.

“So, Jane Doe has a lot in common with Ashley Tanner. Sex, age, race” he mused.

“Killed in Zeshana, dumped in Yadrioria. It doesn’t make sense” Doyoung grumbled. Taeyong was quiet before a thought hit him.

“I have a friend in the Zeshana crime lab. Call them, they’ll help us” he instructed. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Skype call almost ready” Yuta declared as he sat before his computer, Doyoung at his side.

“Connecting in three, two…” he started before the call connected and Doyoung was greeted by a familiar face.

“Kun!” he exclaimed, making the man sitting before the computer screen, Qian Kun, blink for a moment before he laughed.

_“Doyoung hyung. Nice to see you again”_ he replied. Doyoung laughed as well.

“It’s been years! How have you been?” he asked. Kun smiled.

 _“I’ve been good. When I left on your first day, I decided to go back to school and get my doctorate”_ he replied. Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“So you’re a doctor now?” he asked. Kun smiled.

 _“Dr. Qian Kun, at your service”_ he replied before he looked over at Yuta.

 _“Sorry, I’m being rude. Dr. Qian Kun, nice to meet you”_ he greeted. Yuta smiled.

“CSI Yuta Nakamoto” he replied. Kun smiled and nodded before he looked back at Doyoung.

 _“So, what’s up?”_ he asked. 

“We have a partially-decomposed right leg that has traces of radioactive salt on it and it is most likely from your area” Doyoung replied. Kun frowned.

 _“Any idea about the age and sex of the victim?”_ he asked. Doyoung nodded.

“My husband confirmed the victim was female, around 22” he replied. Kun’s eyes widened.

 _“You and Taeil? Wow, congratulations”_ he congratulated. Doyoung blushed before he dipped his head.

“Thank you” he thanked. Kun smiled before his face turned serious.

 _“Do these remains have a butterfly tattoo on the ankle?”_ he asked. Doyoung frowned.

“Let me confirm that” he replied as Yuta went over to the hard drive and pulled up the M.E. photos of the leg. Yuta then found the photo and placed it onto the screen.

“Yes, they do” Doyoung declared. Kun hissed.

 _“Shit. Well, that confirms my worst fears. Her name was Samantha Matthews. Her mother reported her missing about ten days ago”_ he explained as he put Samantha’s information onto the screen for Yuta and Doyoung to see.

“I’m sorry” Doyoung whispered. Kun smiled sadly.

 _“Thank you”_ he thanked as Yuta crossed his arms.

“Was your victim from a small town?” he asked. 

_“Starhorn. She came to Zeshana to be a model”_ Kun replied. Yuta hummed.

“We’ve got the same story here” he murmured.

“Okay, so your victim’s leg was severed through the head of the femur. Our victim’s arm was severed through the body of the humerus. Does that mean anything to you?” Doyoung asked. Kun shook his head.

 _“It’d be very difficult to say without first taking a look at the evidence”_ he replied. Doyoung and Yuta looked at one another before they looked back at Kun.

“We’d love another set of eyes on it” Doyoung stated. Kun nodded.

 _“I’ll be there as soon as I can”_ he replied. Doyoung smiled.

“Great, thanks Kun” he thanked. Kun nodded and disconnected the call, making Yuta look over at Doyoung.

“You know him?” he asked. Doyoung nodded.

“He showed me around when I first came to work here. I really thought that was the last time I was going to see him” he replied. Yuta chuckled.

“Guess not” he teased. Doyoung smiled.

“Guess not” he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kun's back! Y'all thought we had seen the last of him! No bitch! Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	83. Case 12: Bone Voyage - Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so since some people got surprised/confused from the last chapter, here's how the couples work:
> 
> Jaehyun/Taeyong - Married  
> Doyoung/Taeil - Married  
> Mark/Donghyuck - Dating  
> Sicheng/Yuta - Dating  
> Johnny/Ten - Married  
> Jungwoo/Lucas - Dating  
> Hendery/Xiaojun - Dating  
> Jeno/Jaemin - Dating  
> Chenle/Jisung - Dating
> 
> Yangyang - Not in a relationship  
> Renjun - Not in a relationship  
> Kun - Not in a relationship

A few hours later, Kun arrived in Yadrioria via helicopter and Taeyong was there to greet him.

“Kun! Welcome back” he greeted, giving the man a hug. Kun smiled and gave Taeyong a squeeze before he laughed.

“It’s nice to be back, hyung” he replied as they pulled away and headed towards where Yuta and Mark found the severed leg.

“What have we got so far?” Kun asked.

“The dump site’s this way” Taeyong replied, leading Kun towards the spot. They soon arrived, Yuta already waiting there for them.

“CSI Nakamoto” Kun greeted. Yuta smiled and dipped his head.

“Doctor Qian” he replied. Kun laughed.

“Please, Kun is fine” he assured. Yuta smiled.

“Then please, call me Yuta” he replied. Kun nodded as Taeyong motioned to the water.

“This is where we found Samantha’s leg” he declared. Kun hummed and knelt down, studying the area before he noticed something.

“We have maggot migration trails here, hyung, which means we’re probably looking at the original dump site” he declared. Taeyong hummed and looked down at the trail while Yuta placed his hands on his hips.

“So will these trails lead to more body parts?” he asked. Kun shook his head.

“Unfortunately, maggot trails don’t give directionality” he replied as Taeyong pointed to the mud.

“Look at these animal tracks” he stated, making Yuta and Kun look over to see that there were indeed some large animal tracks.

“Hmm. Body parts were dumped, animal scavengers dispersed them” Kun mused. 

“Yuta, grab Mark and Donghyuck. We need to expand this search” Taeyong ordered. Yuta nodded.

“You got it, boss” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Taeil was cleaning off his tables when Taeyong and Kun walked into the morgue.

“Taeil” Taeyong called out, making Taeil look up and when he saw Kun, he smiled.

“Kun. Welcome back” he greeted as he walked around the table to give Kun a hug.

“Hi hyung” Kun replied, hugging Taeil tightly before they pulled away.

“Oh, and I heard about you and Doyoung. Congratulations. If I had known earlier, I would have called and wished you well back then” he continued. Taeil smiled and waved his hand.

“Don’t worry about it, but thank you all the same. Now, what can I do for you two?” he asked. Kun motioned to the morgue.

“Can we take a look at the remains, please?” he asked. Taeil nodded and motioned for the men to come inside, walking over to the table that Samantha Matthew’s leg was resting on.

“This is the girl from Zeshana, Samantha Matthews” he stated as he slipped on a pair of gloves, Kun doing the same.

“Take note of the wound. Incised” he continued. Kun hummed as he looked at the leg.

“Butterfly tattoo. Significant decomp, exposure to the elements…a week to ten days. Right hyung?” he asked, looking at Taeil, who nodded. Kun then picked up the leg and studied the severed part.

“Oh, clean planar cut to the medial condyle. Striae indicate it was made with a downward motion” he declared.

“What we’d like to do is match the striae to a particular blade” Taeyong explained as he looked at Kun. Kun smiled as he summoned a silver case, placing it on the table next to him.

“Well, I brought along a series of slides showing the effects of various blades on bone. See if we can get a match” he replied as he opened up his case and pulled out the slides. Taeyong nodded.

“Right. The thickness of the hip bone suggests a hacking blade” he stated. Kun glanced at him before he hummed.

“Well, that would bring us to large-end carving knives, machetes, cleavers” he mused before he placed the slides down and looked at the leg, mainly the bone.

“No false starts. Kerf floor is uneven. Bone fragmentation at the chop mark” he continued.

“Which refines to a smooth edge at the bottom” Taeil added. Kun nodded.

“Unique blade leaves that kind of mark” he stated before he hummed.

“We…are looking for…” he started, pulling out the slides he had until he found what he was looking for.

“…a cleaver, commercial grade” he declared, holding the slide up to the light to see the slide better before he looked at Taeyong and Taeil.

“So, somebody that works with meat professionally” Taeyong mused. Kun shrugged.

“Perhaps we’re looking for a butcher” he offered. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Butcher” he repeated. Kun nodded. Taeyong smiled.

“Thank you Kun” he thanked before he turned and headed out of the morgue. Kun smiled and nodded before he looked over at Taeil.

“Thank you, hyung” he thanked. Taeil chuckled.

“No, thank you” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

“So I’m isolating butcher shops, restaurants, butcher shops attached to restaurants” Yuta stated as Sicheng stood next to him, Sicheng’s arms crossed in front of him.

“How wide an area?” he asked. 

“Well, using where they found the car and the location of the body dump as axis points, we’re looking at about a fifty mile radius” Yuta replied. Soon, multiple names of butcher shops, restaurants, and other shops of the kind popped up, making Yuta and Sicheng’s eyes widen.

“Well shit. That gives us several hundred possibilities” Yuta murmured. Sicheng hummed before he nodded slowly.

“Okay, okay, let’s try this. Let’s look for butchers who have restaurants in Zeshana and Yadrioria” he suggested. Yuta nodded and put his suggestion into the search, immediately coming up with a single hit.

“Baby, you’re a genius” he praised, turning to face Sicheng, a bright smile on his face. Sicheng grinned as well and Yuta couldn’t help himself but reach out and cup Sicheng’s face in his hands before leaning up to kiss him on the forehead. Sicheng blushed and gently smacked him on the chest.

“Shameless” he whispered. Yuta chuckled.

“Only around you” he teased. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Big Grand Steakhouse, where steak is art. My name is Nathan Cole and tonight, you’ll eat with style!” a man wearing a headset declared before he stabbed a cleaver into a large leg of meat. The restaurant began to cheer as Nathan carved up the large piece of leg into smaller pieces for everyone to enjoy.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on, after the show, Taeyong and Kun entered the restaurant and walked over to the large piece of leg that Nathan had carved up earlier. Kun then took a meat hook and hooked it into the meat, putting it back into the case, just as Nathan walked out.

“Hey, hey, hey, esperate! Esperate! What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded as he walked over to them. Kun smirked.

“Oh, just admiring your work, Mr. Cole. We need to, uh, run a friendly battery of tests. That’s all” he explained as he put the meat hook down before glancing over at Nathan.

“Cole, you have a very distinct style. You use a single stroke, clean all the way through” he stated. Nathan nodded.

“It’s my signature. It’s why people pay a lot of money to watch me work and why my house is bigger than your precinct” he replied. Taeyong and Kun laughed at the joke before Taeyong crossed his arms and looked at Nathan.

“I understand you were in Zeshana two weeks ago” he stated. Nathan frowned.

“For the opening of my restaurant. So?” he asked. 

“It’s the same weekend that Samantha Matthews disappeared” Taeyong explained, holding up a picture for Nathan to see. Nathan shook his head.

“I don’t know who that is” he stated. Taeyong smirked as Kun was going through Nathan’s knives, studying them.

“She’s from Zeshana but we found her leg here in Yadrioria” Taeyong explained. Nathan nodded slowly as Kun picked up his cleaver, hefting it in his hand. He then made to hack at the meat when Nathan grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Hey, that’s a very expensive, handcrafted carving instrument” he growled. Kun dipped his head.

“Con permiso. I’d just like to run a hematrace on this” he explained. Nathan paused before he removed his hand from Kun’s arm, dusting him off before he stepped back.

“I’ve done nothing wrong” he declared. Kun hummed.

“Good” he agreed before he walked over to his case to run a hematrace test. While he was working, Taeyong looked at Nathan.

“So, you have a gang history with the Zetas” he mused. Nathan was quiet before he sighed.

“That was a lifetime ago” he murmured. Taeyong hummed before he glanced over at Kun.

“Kun?” he asked. Kun smirked as he held up his hematrace test.

“Blood’s human” he declared. Taeyong nodded before he turned to look at Nathan and raised an eyebrow as Kun crossed his arms.

“How do you explain that?” he asked. Nathan said nothing as an officer walked over to him and grabbed his arms, cuffing them behind his back.

“Hey, what is…what is this?” he demanded before he was dragged off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope the relationship chart in the beginning hope helps so that people don't get confused and I don't get any more comments saying "They're married?! I thought they were dating!!" (I thought I made it made it more obvious, but obviously not so that's my fault, I guess)
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	84. Case 12: Bone Voyage - Part 6

Back at the crime lab, Taeyong sent the cleaver to Sicheng’s office, where he unboxed the cleaver and swabbed the base of the cleaver before snipping off the tip of the Q-tip and placing it in a microcentrifuge tube. He then pipetted solution into the tube before placing the tube into a DNA analysis machine. His computer soon beeped with the results, showing that the blood on the cleaver was inconclusive, so it couldn’t tell if it belong to Samantha Matthews or Ashley Tanner.

“Well shit” he grumbled before he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Taeyong was standing outside the interrogation room, looking at Nathan Cole, who was sitting inside, just as Kun walked over to him.

“Hyung” he called out, making Taeyong glance over at him.

“Hmm?” he replied. Kun sighed.

“Bad news. The DNA is too degraded for a positive match to either victim” he explained. Taeyong frowned.

“Well shit” he murmured. Kun smiled slightly.

“But here’s what we do know. The blood’s human. The striae on Samantha’s bone is a match to his clever” he stated. Taeyong hummed.

“Okay, so he kills the girl in your town and dumps her in my town” he mused as he turned to look at Nathan, Kun doing the same.

“Right” Kun agreed. Taeyong then pointed to Nathan’s finger.

“Take a look at the Band-Aid on the finger. What could that be?” he asked. Kun shook his head.

“I have no idea but it is possible he might have an infection. Can we get a warrant?” he asked. Taeyong chuckled darkly.

“Of course we can” he replied before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the morgue, Taeil was extracting marrow from Samantha Matthews’ leg, recording himself as he was doing so.

“Extracting marrow from Samantha Matthews’ right upper femur. What story do you have to tell, Samantha?” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the interrogation room, Sicheng was drawing blood from Nathan’s arm, much to his annoyance. Once he got what he needed, he turned and looked at Kun, holding up the vial of blood. Kun smiled and dipped his head to him before he turned and walked away, letting Sicheng do his thing. 

~*~*~*~*~

Once Sicheng got the blood, he headed back to his lab and took a micropipette, sucking up about five microliters before placing it into a small test mold and running a UV light over it. As he looked at the sample under the UV, he smirked when he got his results.

~*~*~*~*~

“Someone mind telling me why I’m sudden a blood donor?” Nathan asked as he sat before Kun and Taeyong in the interrogation room. Taeyong glanced at him before he hummed.

“You know, Nathan, blood’s a funny thing” he stated. 

“It tells a story” Kun continued. Nathan raised an eyebrow.

“So?” he asked. 

“Samantha Matthews had Hep C. Her family told us she picked it up on a family vacation to Egypt” Kun stated. Nathan frowned.

“And what’s that got to do with me?” he demanded. Kun smirked.

“We ran an antigen test on your blood sample. Guess what?” he sneered.

“It turns out, Nathan, that she infected you with the virus and now you have Hep C” Taeyong declared. 

“Signature strain. Only found in the Middle East” Kun added before he glared at Nathan.

“There’s only one way you could have picked up Samantha Matthews’ virus” he snarled.

“She gave it to you when you cut her up” Taeyong growled. Nathan was quiet before he let out a weak laugh and looked up at Kun and Taeyong.

“Zetas bankrolled my first restaurant. In return, they asked for certain…favors” he explained.

“Like killing Samantha” Kun deadpanned. Nathan shook his head.

“No! No, I cut her up. I did not kill her” he snapped. 

“Then who did kill her?” Taeyong asked, crossing his arms. Nathan shook his head again.

“I don’t know” he replied.

“Then tell us why she was killed” Kun ordered.

“They don’t tell me that information! Probably she didn’t want to turn tricks anymore. That’s the only thing I could think of” Nathan stated. Kun scoffed.

“We have a feeling that you know more than you’re saying” he sneered. Nathan sighed.

“Look, I got a call. I was told to drive to the salt flats. She was dead when I got there. I did what I was told: cut her up” he explained. Taeyong narrowed his eyes.

“So then you just left her there?” he growled. Nathan let out a groan.

“Somebody else picked up the body parts and dumped it. I don’t know” he replied. Kun growled.

“Who? We need a name” he snapped.

“You’re not listening! I don’t know a name!” Nathan roared. Taeyong said nothing before he placed down the picture of Ashley Tanner.

“Who’s that?” Nathan demanded.

“Your other victim” Taeyong stated, his voice soft and dangerous. Nathan frowned as he looked at the picture before he looked up at Taeyong and Kun.

“I never seen that bitch in my life. I cut up the one in Zeshana. Her, I didn’t do” he stated. Kun growled, eyes flashing blue.

“Alright, enough. Who’s your contact at the Zetas?” he demanded. Nathan shook his head.

**“Answer the man”** Taeyong ordered, eyes glowing red.

“I can’t” Nathan argued.

**“Who is your contact at the Zetas?”** Kun repeated, glaring at him. Nathan looked at him and shook his head.

“I will die first” he declared. Taeyong nodded before he looked at the officer, who nodded and led Nathan out of the room. Once he was gone, Taeyong looked over at Kun.

“You believe him?” he asked. Kun raised an eyebrow.

“That he cut up Samantha? Yes” he replied. Taeyong hummed.

“And that he’s claiming he’s not involved in Ashley Tanner’s murder” he continued. Kun sighed.

“Unfortunately, yes, I believe him” he muttered. Taeyong nodded.

“So do I” he agreed before he looked at Kun.

“Kun…that means that our killer’s still out there” he declared. Kun nodded.

“It also means, hyung, that I am not leaving until we solve this thing” he replied. Taeyong smiled.

“And that is good news” he agreed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	85. Case 12: Bone Voyage - TO BE CONTINUED

Outside of the morgue, Kun was looking at Ashley Tanner’s arm when Doyoung walked over and sat down beside him.

“I heard you got a confession” he stated. Kun sighed.

“Partial confession. Nathan Cole admitted to dismembering Samantha Matthews’ body postmortem” he explained. Doyoung hummed.

“So he copped to your girl. Did he say anything about our victim, Ashley Tanner?” he asked. 

“He said that he wasn’t involved. And unfortunately, these cuts prove it” Kun stated, motioning to Ashley’s arm. Doyoung frowned.

“How’s that?” he asked. 

“Well, Samantha’s leg was separated at the hip joint. The cuts were clean, professional” Kun explained. Doyoung nodded in understanding.

“Whoever did Ashley was a lot less precise” he deduced. Kun nodded.

“Exactly” he agreed as he motioned to Ashley’s arm again.

“This…this is the work of an amateur. These cuts are sloppy, hurried” he explained. Doyoung frowned before he looked at Kun.

“Well, you know, we’ve got an amateur in holding. Do you think there’s any way you could connect him to Ashley Tanner?” he asked. Kun smiled slightly.

“I’m working on it. In the meantime, how’s everyone doing with their evidence search?” he asked. 

“I’ll get you a progress report” Doyoung stated. Kun smiled.

“Thanks, hyung” he thanked. Doyoung nodded.

“You’re welcome” he replied as he stood up and walked away, leaving Kun to work.

~*~*~*~*~

Back out in the glades, Mark, Yuta, Donghyuck, and the rest of the YPD cadets were searching the glades, searching for more body parts. As they were looking around, Donghyuck heard something rustling in the grass so he froze, only to have Mark appeared next to him.

“Hey Hyuck” he greeted. Donghyuck let out a heavy sigh.

“Mark, you fucking asshole. Gave me a heart attack” he grumbled. Mark chuckled, just as there was a loud growl, making both Mark and Donghyuck turn to see a grizzly bear not too far from them.

“Oh fuck” Donghyuck whispered.

“Don’t panic. Just make yourself small and non-threatening” Mark whispered as he slowly began to bend down.

“I’m already small and non-threatening, I can’t make myself any smaller” Donghyuck hissed before he shook his head.

“I’m running for it” he declared. Mark’s eyes widened and he grabbed his wrist.

“Hyuck, you can’t outrun a bear” he hissed. Donghyuck laughed mirthlessly.

“I don’t have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you!” he exclaimed before he took off running.

“Hyuck!” Mark shouted, running after him. Both men ran through the glades, the bear chasing after them, when suddenly a gunshot rang out and the bear collapsed to the ground. Mark and Donghyuck came to a halt, looking at one another before they looked over to see Yuta holding a tranquilizer gun.

“Hyung!” they exclaimed at the same time, running over to him and throwing their arms around him.

“Oh thank God” Mark breathed. Yuta let out a soft laugh as he hugged the two young men, giving both of their heads a gentle nuzzle.

“You boys are safe now” he assured as they pulled away. Donghyuck then motioned to the gun in his hand.

“Where did you get that thing?!” he exclaimed. Yuta held up the gun.

“What, this? From the ranger. Somehow, I thought it might come in handy” he replied. Donghyuck let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

“God, hyung, I love you” he murmured, just as Mark poked him in the arm.

“Hey, uh, guys? Look” he stated, motioning to something just beyond the bear. Yuta and Donghyuck looked over, noticing a foot surrounded by flies in the grass.

“That’s a foot. Looks female too” he murmured. Yuta hummed.

“Alright, why don’t you collect it and get it back to the lab?” he suggested. Mark and Donghyuck looked over at the foot then down at the bear before Mark pulled out his phone.

“You know what? I’m just gonna call Taeil” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the morgue, Kun removed a piece of skin from the foot and placed it into a petri dish before taking a crosscut hand saw and sawing a piece of fake bone, measuring the dept of the cut and whatnot. After measuring the cut, Kun took the foot and looked at it underneath a magnifying desk lamp, studying the depth of that cut before going back to the fake bone and taking another saw, this time a hacksaw, to test the depth of the cut. After the hacksaw, he tested a backsaw before writing down his findings. After writing down his findings, he took a small pocketknife and sawed the bone, writing down what type of blade was used on the bone, just like he had done for every other blade he tested. Once all of that was done, he lifted up the desk lamp and took a picture of the foot. 

~*~*~*~*~

“So what have we learned from the new set of remains?” Taeyong asked as he walked into the lab that Kun was borrowing; one that was full of different types of saws.

“I found cuts in the bone shaped like a “W”. You see, this shallow cut is a false start” Kun stated as he held up a projector slide for Taeyong to look at.

“The grooves tell me that he was using a handsaw that was removed mid-stroke” he continued as he placed that one slide down before picking up another, holding it up for Taeyong to see.

“These shallow cuts here suggest a…less efficient weapon. Maybe a pocketknife. At any rate, Ashely’s killer used two weapons” he deduced. Taeyong hummed.

“And they worked hard, didn’t they?” he asked. Kun nodded.

“Yes” he replied. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“When you work hard, you sweat, don’t you?” he asked. Kun paused before he chuckled.

“The harder they work, the easier they make it for us” he agreed. Taeyong nodded before he pulled out his phone and placed it to his ear.

“Winwin, I need you on DNA right now” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

In Sicheng’s lab, Sicheng took a swab and swabbed the bone of the foot and the area around the cuts. He then snipped off the tip of the swab and placed it into a microcentrifuge tube, filling the tube with solution. He then placed the tube into the analysis machine and ran it; the results soon coming up on his computer. 

“Well, well, well” he murmured. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Why are you showing me these?” Jimmy Burris demanded as he sat in the interrogation room, the interrogation table covered with pictures of Ashley Tanner, Samantha Matthews, the severed arm and the severed leg.

“Because you killed Ashley Tanner” Kun snarled. Jimmy turned and glared at him.

“Well you can’t prove that” he spat. Taeyong laughed darkly.

“As a matter of fact, Jimmy, we can” he declared. Jimmy shook his head.

“No” he argued. 

“We found your DNA on her remains” Kun deadpanned. Jimmy huffed.

“I told you guys; we played a little bit. Okay? We partied a little bit. And hey, you know…” he started.

“Jimmy” Taeyong started.

“I hit that; you know?” Jimmy continued.

“Jimmy? Your DNA was on her bones” Taeyong deadpanned.

“Her bones. You understand what that means? It means you cut her up in pieces. Like livestock. And you worked up quite a sweat while you did it” Kun growled. 

“You work for the Zetas, don’t you?” Taeyong asked, crossing his arms.

“Hmm?” Jimmy replied. 

“You heard him” a voice growled, making Kun and Taeyong turn to see Jaehyun step into the interrogation room. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” he asked. Jaehyun smiled.

“Intimidation” he replied. Taeyong smiled wider as Jaehyun walked over to stand beside him before glaring at Jimmy.

“You work for the Zetas, don’t you?” he snarled. 

**“Answer the man”** Kun ordered, eyes glowing blue. 

“Z-E-T-A” Jimmy asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah, Jimmy. Zetas” he snarled. Jimmy looked at him before he sighed.

“Hey, man, you know, they uh, they gave me a life. They, uh, they financed my business” he explained.

**“You pimp”** Jaehyun spat in disgust. Jimmy shrugged.

“Hey” he replied. 

“Every time, Jimmy, one of these girls disobeys you, you kill her, don’t you?” Taeyong snarled. Jimmy glared at him.

“I can’t really let these girls run off on me, can I, Lieutenant Lee? If I was to do that, I wouldn’t be around too much longer, now, would I?” he sneered. Kun, Taeyong, and Jaehyun glared at him, making him shrug again.

“Hey, I didn’t dump the body” he stated.

“Then who did?” Kun demanded. Jimmy shrugged.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help you guys; it’s above my pay grade” he replied.

**“Jimmy…avoid a date with the needle and testify”** Jaehyun snarled, eyes flashing white. Jimmy looked at him and sighed heavily.

“Zetas runs like a major company now, gentlemen. And you know what the great thing is? You guys? You can’t touch ‘em” he declared. Taeyong snarled and took a step forward, causing Jaehyun to grab his arm to hold him back.

**“Jimmy, I don’t care about them. I am satisfied with you”** he growled before he looked at one of the officers in the interrogation room.

**“Take him”** he ordered. The officer nodded and grabbed Jimmy by the arm, leading him out of the room.

“I’ll see you, Lieutenant Lee” Jimmy called out. Taeyong huffed.

“Yes, you will Jimmy” he agreed. Once he was gone, Jaehyun let go of Taeyong’s arm, making Taeyong look up at him.

“Thank you” he thanked. Jaehyun smiled and nodded.

“Of course” he replied before he looked over at Kun.

“Nice to see you again, Kun” he greeted. Kun smiled and nodded.

“Hello Jaehyun” he replied before he looked over at Taeyong.

“Well…at least we’ve taken two killers off the street” he mused. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah, we did” he agreed before he sighed.

“But Kun…” he started before he shook his head.

“Who dumped these bodies, Kun?” he asked. 

“And how many more of them are out there?” Kun replied. The three men were silent before Jaehyun sighed heavily.

“It doesn’t end here in Yadrioria, does it?” he asked. Kun shook his head.

“No” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, out at a gas station, the girl who took Ashley Tanner’s credit card, Madison Briggs, and her boyfriend, were walking out of the store; Madison struggling against her boyfriend’s grip on her arm.

“What’s the matter with you?” he demanded. 

“I’m fine” Madison gritted out. Her boyfriend looked at her and nodded.

“Yeah, you are fine. And you’re mine” he declared. Madison looked at him before she gulped.

“I have to go to the bathroom” she declared.

“Make it quick” her boyfriend ordered. Madison nodded and wrenched her arm out of his grip before she walked to the bathroom. She quickly used it before going to wash her hands, her hands trembling under the water. After she was done washing her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror, her lip beginning to tremble. She tried really hard to not cry as she smoothed her hair back and wiped at her face. As she looked at herself in the mirror, her boyfriend suddenly barged into the bathroom, scaring the shit out of her.

“I told you to make it quick” he growled before he walked back out. Madison gulped and slowly made to follow him, leaving a paper towel with the words “Help me. He’s going to kill me” on the rim of the garbage can before she walked out. As she left the bathroom, the paper towel fell to the floor.

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	86. Case 13: Hammer Down - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second part of the trilogy, combining all of NCT

Up in Lecleusia, a large semi was driving down the highway, the music blaring inside the cab. While the man was driving, there was a loud pounding coming from the locked door behind him, growing louder and louder the more the man continued to drive down the highway. The man glanced back at the door before he huffed and turned up the music, drowning out the sound of the clanking and pounding. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, a few miles back, a car was speeding dangerously down the highway, the driver talking angry on the phone.

“He’s there, isn’t he?” the man spat.

_“Who he? What, who are you talking about? You know what? I swear to God, you’re not coming over here”_ a woman snapped on the other line.

“I’m coming over whether you like it or not” the man growled as he stepped on the gas, accelerating the car.

_“Oh no, you’re not. You’re drunk!”_ the woman shouted. 

~*~*~*~*~

The semi continued to drive down the highway, the music still blasting.

~*~*~*~*~

_“That’s right, I’m calling the cops right now. You’re drunk and I—”_ the woman started.

“I want to see my daughters” the man growled. 

_“You can’t see your daughter like that!”_ the woman screamed.

~*~*~*~*~

In the semi, the door behind the driver continued to rattle and shake as whoever was behind the door kept pounding on it.

“Shut up!” the driver shouted, but the clanking continued.

“Shut the hell up or I’m gonna come back there, so help me god!” the driver snapped before he opened up a box next to his seat, which held a gun and some ammo.

~*~*~*~*~

_“Dean, you know what? I’m calling the cops right now and they’re gonna put your ass in jail”_ the woman on the phone snarled. The man, Dean, suddenly dropped his phone, causing him to curse.

“Damn it” he hissed.

_“You hear me? Dean?”_ the woman snapped. Dean said nothing as he reached down to try and grab his phone, not paying any attention to where he was going or if he was staying in his own lane. 

_“Hello?! Dean!”_ the woman shouted.

~*~*~*~*~

In the semi, the chained doors suddenly burst open, causing the driver to look back and not look at the road, because if he had, he would have realized that Dean’s car was screaming towards him. 

“Dean? Are you there?” the woman asked. Dean said nothing as he saw bright lights out of the corner of his eye, so he turned to see the semi coming towards him, causing him to let out a scream before both semi and car crashed into one another.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Lieutenant Johnny Seo, Sergeant Chittaphon “Ten” Leechaiyapornkul, and CSI Huang “Lucas” Xu Xi were at the scene, Ten telling Johnny and Lucas what happened.

“The driver of the car’s name is Dean Rovin. He was 35 years old. According to the first on scene, he was killed on impact. Renjun just hauled the body out of here” he explained. Johnny hummed as he walked over to the crushed car and looked inside.

“Looks like he had a few for the road” he mused. Ten nodded.

“This was actually Dean’s third and last D.U.I.” he explained. Lucas frowned.

“So this is a traffic accident. And we’re here because…?” he asked. Ten gave him a look.

“Not gonna call you all the way out here for a 10-99” he replied before he motioned to the road.

“Take a look at those skid marks” he instructed. Johnny frowned before he climbed on top of a police car hood, noticing the skid marks on the road that Ten was pointing to.

“Looks like the driver of this rig lost control and jumped the median” he mused.

“And immediately fled the scene” Ten added. Lucas huffed.

“I can see doing that if you were driving under the influence” he mused. Ten nodded.

“Sure. Or if you recently committed murder” he stated before he headed towards the back of the semi, Johnny and Lucas following him. Ten then walked over to a steel drum, making Johnny and Lucas frown at him.

“What the hell is that?” Lucas asked. Ten shook his head.

“Just…” he started before he summoned a pair of gloves, slipping them on before opening the drum to reveal a young woman’s body. Lucas shut his eyes and turned his head away as Johnny sighed heavily.

“If not for that accident, we may never have found her” Ten declared. Lucas put his hands on his hips and sighed.

“Looks like this is the end of the road for her” he murmured. Johnny nodded.

“And the beginning for us” he declared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	87. Case 13: Hammer Down - Part 2

At the scene, CSI Kim Jungwoo was taking pictures of the woman in the drum when Lucas walked over to him.

“Well?” he asked. Jungwoo sighed.

“Rigor’s already on its way out” he replied. Lucas hummed.

“So we’re looking at a T.O.D. between 36 and 48 hours” he mused. Jungwoo nodded as Lucas pointed to the woman’s body.

“What do you make of the skin tone?” he asked. Jungwoo hummed and leaned down, brushing back the woman’s bangs to get a good look at her skin.

“Looks blanched, indicating extreme blood loss” he stated. Lucas huffed.

“But Woo, there’s no blood at the bottom of the drum” he argued. Jungwoo nodded.

“If she bled out, she was put in here after she died” he stated. Lucas frowned.

“Why go through all that trouble? I mean, our driver could have dumped the body anywhere” he murmured. Jungwoo shrugged.

“Maybe he had a choice spot picked out but had to get her there first. Figured he’d hide the body in this shipping drum until then” he suggested before he crossed his arms.

“You know, there is a weigh station about 30 miles back. I imagine he didn’t want the body discovered during an inspection” he mused. Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, that makes sense” he agreed before he pointed to the body.

“Listen, when you’re done here, let’s get her over to Renjun in situ. This way we can minimize any artifactual trauma to the body or loss of trace evidence” he suggested. Jungwoo nodded. 

“Okay” he agreed. Lucas smiled and leaned forward, placing a kiss on Jungwoo’s cheek before he turned and walked away, letting Jungwoo do his thing.

“Hey, Joe, let’s go. We’re gonna take the drum intact to the M.E.’s office” Jungwoo stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the M.E.’s office, Dr. Huang Renjun, a tall young man with light skin, soft pink hair, and brown eyes, had his assistances move his exam table before placing down a large tarp. Once the tarp was down, the drum was brought in and placed on top of the tarp. The top of the drum was then opened and Renjun looked over the young woman before he had his assistants maneuver the drum so that it was laying on its side so that it would be easier for him to remove the body. After he took the body out of the drum, he placed her gently on the tarp before gently taking his fingers and closing the young woman’s eyelids. Once her eyes were closed, he took a flashlight and looked over her body, noticing a large “X” on her lower abdomen. He let out a deep sigh.

“Fuck” he whispered. He then looked over at his assistants and motioned for them to move the body to his exam table, where he then picked up his camera and took pictures of the “X”. After taking pictures, Renjun put his camera down and gently pressed on all sections of the “X” on the woman’s abdomen. He hummed before he took a UV light and ran it over her body, making sure to be thorough, before he took a small pen light and shone it underneath her long fingernails. He thought he saw something, so he took a small scraper and scraped out whatever he could get from underneath her nails before placing it in an evidence bag. Once the evidence was safely in the evidence bag, he stamped the woman’s thumb before rolling it onto a fingerprint strip.

~*~*~*~*~

At the scene, CSIs Xiao "Xiaojun" Dejun and Huang "Hendery" Guangheng were examining the inside of cab; Xiaojun finding a pink straw from the cup that the driver drank out of and chewed. He hummed before he took the straw and the cup, placing them in a large evidence bag to examine later. He then looked up and noticed a hula-girl dash figure, which made him frown and shine his light on it while Hendery took a piece of tape and lifted a fingerprint from the steering wheel. After taking the fingerprint, he placed it into the evidence bag to examine later when he noticed Xiaojun staring at the hula figure, making him look over at it as well.

“What are you thinking?” he asked. Xiaojun looked over at him and smirked.

“I’m thinking that might be blood” he stated, motioning to the red that was on the hula girl’s lei. Hendery looked at it and huffed.

“Let’s find out” he declared as he pulled out a small bottle of phenolphthalein, which the then dripped onto the lei before dripping a single drop of hydrogen peroxide on top of it. The blood then fluoresced pink, making him smirk.

“Looks like our trucker was injured in the accident” he declared. Xiaojun hummed before he looked past Hendery and frowned.

“Or maybe his passenger” he suggested, making Hendery frown and turn as well to see different patches of blood all over the cab.

“What the hell” he whispered. Xiaojun shook his head before he and Hendery turned, both men noticing the door at the cab of the cab. Xiaojun frowned before he reached out and slowly opened the door, Hendery holding his flashlight up so that he could see. Once the door was open, both men looked inside, but they couldn’t really see anything until Hendery turned and looked to his right, eyes widening in horror.

“Oh my God” he whispered, making Xiaojun look over, his eyes widening as well.

“Yeah” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside of the semi, Ten walked over to Johnny and sighed.

“Well, you can forget about catching a break on this one” he stated. Johnny looked over at him and frowned.

“Why?” he asked. 

“Truck was a commercial lease out of Zhedale, Uswya. And the ID on the paperwork came back as phony” Ten explained. Johnny groaned.

“So we have no idea who we’re chasing” he grumbled, just as Xiaojun poked his head out of the cab.

“Hyung! You’re gonna wanna come see this” he called out. Ten and Johnny turned before both men walked over to the semi, Xiaojun and Hendery slipping out so that Johnny and Ten could enter. Once inside, Johnny shown his flashlight into the sleeper that Xiaojun and Hendery looked at, finding the entire place covered with some type of padding, with ropes and a bleach container covered in duct tape.

“Portable outhouse” Hendery called down from where he and Xiaojun were standing outside on the side of the cab.

“Our truck driver was holding someone in here” Johnny murmured.

“We found a lockbox under the driver’s seat. A few rounds from a .45 were in there, but no gun” Xiaojun added. Ten sighed.

“We have to assume he took it with him” he murmured as Johnny looked up at the pair.

“What else we got?” he asked. 

“I found hair in the sleeper and in the cab. Judging from the length, I’d say the donor’s female” Hendery stated. Johnny sighed.

“So our victim could have been in here before she was killed and then put in the drum” he mused. Hendery shrugged.

“Unless we’re looking at a second female donor” he suggested.

“Whoever it was, they were a prisoner. We got multiple locks on the outside of the door but nothing to unlock it from the inside. Also explains the artwork on the walls” Xiaojun added. Both Ten and Johnny stuck their head into the sleeper, noticing the scratches on the inside walls.

“Find biologicals?” Johnny asked, glancing over at the two. Xiaojun shook his head.

“No, no. I hit it with a light. No signs of sexual assault” he replied as Ten pointed to the door of the sleeper.

“Door’s damaged” he stated. Hendery frowned.

“Yeah, but it didn’t look like it was from the crash” he stated. Johnny hummed.

“Could have been what caused the accident” he suggested. Hendery shook his head.

“But there’s no body. There’s no major bloodstaining; there’s no obvious signs of trauma. There’s nothing to indicate that she didn’t survive the crash” he argued. 

“I’d call that lucky” Xiaojun murmured. Ten shook his head.

“Not if she’s still with the driver” he stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	88. Case 13: Hammer Down - Part 3

At the M.E.’s office, Johnny, Lucas, and Jungwoo were standing before the body on one side of the table while Renjun stood on the other side of the body, arms crossed in front of him.

“Turns out, I wasn’t the first person to cut into this girl” he stated. Jungwoo frowned.

“You found evidence of sharp force trauma?” he asked. Renjun nodded as he pulled down the sheet to show his autopsy of the girl.

“That’s your C.O.D. Exsanguination due to surgical transection of all major blood vessels supplying the liver” he stated. Lucas frowned as he looked at Renjun.

“You’re saying someone removed her liver?” he breathed. Renjun nodded.

“That’s right. And a microscopic immunohistochemical test indicated her body released histamine in an immunological response to the injury” he explained. 

“So she was alive when it happened” Johnny growled. Renjun nodded.

“Yes. And died as a result of the harvesting” he replied before he sighed.

“Based on the precision of the work, I can only conclude that whoever did this had a long-term plan for the organ” he stated. Lucas huffed.

“Possibly to sell it on the black market” he murmured. Renjun nodded in agreement as Jungwoo crossed his arms.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything else missing” he mused. Renjun nodded again.

“Everything’s here but the liver” he agreed.

“What about an I.D.?” Johnny asked. Renjun shook his head.

“Nothing so far; I sent her prints up to the lab. Figured they could run a more comprehensive search” he replied. Lucas then looked over at Johnny.

“Hyung, if you’re right and they’re transplanting her liver into someone else, we don’t have much time” he stated. 

“I already had her blood typed for surface protein markers. She’s AB+” Renjun stated. Jungwoo frowned.

“That’s an unusual blood type. Finding a liver donor will be difficult” he stated. Johnny hummed.

“Let’s get the word out to our CI’s familiar with this type of black market and every hospital in the area. I want a list of any patients capable of receiving an AB+ liver. If we can I.D. who that liver was intended for, we’ll be one step closer to catching our suspect” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the lab, Xiaojun just got off the phone with someone when Hendery walked over to him.

“Hey. Got a hit on AFIS of those prints I lifted from the steering wheel” he stated. Xiaojun smiled.

“Nice” he praised. Hendery nodded.

“I know. Our trucker’s name is Casey Steele. He did a nickel in Shayvania on a robbery-assault conviction” he explained before he sighed.

“The only problem is, he’s a parole absconder. No permanent address, so it’s gonna be hard to find him” he stated. Xiaojun shook his head and motioned with his phone.

“Maybe not. That was Ten-ge. We got an eyewitness” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the nearby hospital, Ten spoke to the eyewitness, who was lying in a hospital bed; handing the man a photo of Casey Steele. When the man looked at it, he nodded.

“Yeah, that’s him” he stated. Ten pointed to the picture.

“Mr. Winston, you sure that’s the guy who carjacked you?” he asked. The man in the bed, Mr. Joseph Winston, nodded.

“Yeah” he replied before he sighed heavily.

“I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I should have just minded my own business and kept on driving” he grumbled, explaining to Ten how he got carjacked.

“Then what happened?” Ten asked.

“He pulled this woman out of his truck, puts her in the backseat of my car” Joseph replied. Ten frowned.

“Can you describe her?” he asked. Joseph nodded.

“Dark hair, mid-20’s. She was as scared as I was” he replied before he sighed again.

“About ten miles down the road, he tells me to pull over out in the middle of nowhere and get out of the car. Then he orders me to give him my cellphone and wallet before fucking shooting me in the chest. If it wasn’t for that motorist who happened to drive by seconds later, I’d be dead” he spat, face contorting in pain before he huffed.

“He’s an animal. God help the woman that’s with him” he murmured. Ten nodded in agreement. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Put out an alert on Mr. Winston’s car, plastic and his cellphone. Let’s hope Casey Steele tries to use them” Johnny ordered before he hung up his landline, just as Hendery walked into his office.

“Hyung, I think I know who Casey Steel’s prisoner is. Her name is Madeline Briggs” he explained as he handed Johnny his iPad.

“When I ran the prints and the DNA I lifted off the jug I found in the sleeper compartment, I got a hit to a missing girl out of Yadrioria. Her mother filed the claim five days ago” he continued. Johnny hummed.

“So we have to assume Steele picked her up in Yadrioria then drove her up to Lecleusia, keeping her locked up as a prisoner. Any results on the urine workup?” he asked. Hendery sighed.

“Her analysis revealed traces of the sedative Propofol. I’m thinking that what he used to keep her under control” he replied. Johnny scoffed.

“But the accident tells us that it didn’t keep her from fighting back” he reminded.

“That’s because she’s fighting for two” Hendery deadpanned, making Johnny look at him with wide eyes.

“Madeline’s pregnant?” he asked softly. Hendery nodded.

“Yeah; her urine analysis also revealed traces of human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG” he explained as Xiaojun stepped into his office.

“Hyung, we ran the rest of the prints that we lifted from the sleeper cab” he stated. Hendery looked over at him.

“Madeline Briggs, right?” he asked. Xiaojun sighed.

“She was there too” he replied. Hendery frowned at him.

“What do you mean?” he demanded. Xiaojun sighed heavily.

“I found evidence of more than one woman in that sleeper” he stated. Johnny’s eyes darkened.

“How many?” he growled.

“A lot” Xiaojun croaked.

~*~*~*~*~

“When I realized I had multiple donors, I ran the prints through every database I could think of. I got these in through NAMUS; National Missing and Unidentified persons System” Xiaojun explained to Johnny and Hendery in his lab, motioning to a large screen full of women’s faces.

“This one’s from Iepraria, Friorus, Adrington, Steyvania. These girls are from every state” he whispered. 

“And all of them at one time or another were in Casey Steele’s truck” Johnny growled. Xiaojun made a face and nodded as Hendery pointed to one of the girls on Xiaojun’s screen.

“That’s our Jane Doe” he stated. Xiaojun turned and pointed to the picture Hendery pointed at.

“This one, right?” he asked. Hendery nodded.

“Yeah” he agreed. Xiaojun tapped on her photo, bringing up her profile.

“Debbie Menzel. Huicstin, Agrary” Hendery murmured. Just then, Lucas arrived at the entrance of Xiaojun’s lab.

“Hyung” he called out, making Johnny turn to look at him.

“Hmm?” he replied.

“I’ve got a Dr. Qian Kun holding on a vid call. He’s a CSI from Zeshana. He’s working a case in conjunction with Yadrioria PD. Says that he picked up one of our entries and has some information on Madeline Briggs” Lucas explained. Johnny nodded.

“Alright, I’ll be there in a moment” he assured.

~*~*~*~*~

In the conference room, Johnny and Lucas stood before their screen as they looked at Kun, who was standing with Jaehyun and Taeyong on one side of him and Yuta on the other, since he was the one in charge of the video call.

“Jaehyun, Taeyong. Nice to see you again” Johnny greeted. Taeyong and Jaehyun smiled before Taeyong motioned to Kun.

 _“An old friend of mine, Dr. Qian Kun”_ he introduced before motioning to Yuta.

 _“CSI Yuta Nakamoto”_ he continued. Johnny dipped his head.

“Lieutenant Johnny Seo” he greeted before he motioned to Lucas.

“Huang Xu Xi” he introduced. 

“Call me Lucas” Lucas insisted. Kun smiled before he crossed his arms.

 _“I understand you have our missing girl in your city?”_ he stated. Johnny sighed.

“If we do, it might not be for long. The man who abducted her, Casey Steele, stole a car after his truck was sidelined in a traffic accident” he explained. Lucas nodded.

“We have alerts out and roadblocks set up, but so far we haven’t found the car” he added. Taeyong hummed.

_“Well, that’s good; he might still be in Lecleusia”_ he mused.

“What can you tell us about Madeline Briggs?” Johnny asked. Kun and Taeyong both looked over at Jaehyun, who nodded.

 _“Taeyong and Kun just wrapped up two murders here in the Yadrioria area. During the investigation, a young woman named Madeline Briggs came across our radar, first as a suspect; now we have reason to believe she’s a victim”_ he explained before he held up the note

that Madeline left in the rest stop bathroom, which was placed in a protective sheath.

 _“We found this note in a truck stop restroom in_ _Arkridge. The last person seen with Madeline Briggs is a small time hustler named Goodman; Tyler Goodman”_ he continued.

“Where is he now?” Johnny asked.

 _“In a morgue in Northern_ _Iepraria”_ Kun deadpanned.

 _“48 hours ago, Tyler was found shot to death in the bathroom of a truck stop near Vletham”_ Yuta stated, holding up a photo of Tyler with a bullet between his eyes.

 _“Kill was clean; it was a pro-job”_ Taeyong added. Lucas huffed.

“So Tyler hands off Madeline to Casey and then gets paid with a bullet” he grumbled. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“You have ballistics on that shooting?” he asked. 

_“We do; weapon’s a .45”_ Taeyong replied as Yuta nodded.

 _“I’m sending you our ballistics evidence right now; see if it matches up”_ he stated, fingers flying over the keys. Lucas turned and looked at his computer, watching as the file transferred from Yuta’s computer to theirs.

“We have a witness; a gunshot victim Casey pulled the trigger on. The slug was too deformed to get caliber determination, but we have reason to believe that it might be a .45” Johnny stated before turning to look at Lucas, whose computer analyzed the ballistic report Yuta sent them. Lucas then smiled with the computer came back saying “MATCH FOUND”.

“It’s a match” he declared before he turned back to look at Jaehyun, Taeyong, Kun, and Yuta.

“Looks like Casey’s been a busy boy” he stated. Taeyong huffed.

 _“The Zetas run a tight ship and they do not tolerate mistakes”_ he agreed. Johnny chuffed.

“Bad news for a small-time player like Tyler; means he was expendable” he declared

“What else do we know about these perps?” Lucas asked, placing his hands on his hips.

 _“Targets are always young women between the ages of 19 and 25. They’re highly organized, they’re well financed. They lure these women into prostitution, black-market surrogacy, use them as human-trafficking pawns, you name it”_ Jaehyun explained. Lucas sighed.

“And now harvesting bodies for organs” he murmured. 

“Makes them extremely dangerous” Johnny deadpanned.

 _“Lieutenant Seo, I’ve chased one victim from Zeshana to Yadrioria, only to find her dead. When Madeline Brigg’s mother reported her missing, she asked for my help so I’m not going home until I find her daughter”_ Kun declared. Johnny smirked.

“And when can I expect you?” he asked.

 _“We’re on the first thing smokin”_ Taeyong replied. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“You’re coming as well?” he asked. Jaehyun shrugged.

 _“You can always use extra hands”_ he stated. Johnny smiled brightly.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you boys again” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	89. Case 13: Hammer Down - Part 4

The next morning, Johnny and Ten were waiting at the helicopter pad, watching as a helicopter came in and landed, Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Kun stepping out. 

“Jaehyun, Taeyong, Kun. Welcome to Lecleusia” Johnny greeted as he and Ten walked over to the three men. 

“Who’s in charge back home?” Ten asked. Taeyong smiled.

“Taeil” he replied. Ten nodded as Johnny motioned for the three men to follow him and Ten away from the pad.

“Federal Marshals are escorting an inmate in a transfer from Bedford Maximum Facility to Bayview. We made a deal in exchanged for information; we’re meeting them in half an hour” he explained. Kun frowned.

“Any connection to Casey Steele?” he asked. Johnny shook his head.

“Not directly. Our informant is a cellmate of a suspect we convicted six months ago in connection with a human trafficking ring here in Lecleusia” he explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“Ah, a little cellmate chit-chat and a convict looking to make a deal; that’s hard to trust” he stated. Ten nodded.

“True, but right now, we’re standing here with nothing. And I kind of got the impression that you boys weren’t here to sight-see” he teased. Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Kun laughed as the five men continued to walk away from the launch pad.

~*~*~*~*~

“Human cargo; that’s how Carolyn described it. Young women get moved from one state to another, truck stop to truck stop; different drivers, different destinations. 24/7 operation, mostly traveling at night…pretty impressive enterprise if you ask me” the convict stated as she stood before Johnny, Ten, Kun, Taeyong and Jaehyun in a very open park with lots of policemen around.

“I always thought an eighteen wheeler advertising fresh produce was really carrying vegetables” she continued. Johnny hummed and crossed his arms.

“How many are they transporting; one, two, more?” he asked. The convict scoffed and shook her head.

“Doesn’t matter. These guys make more money transporting one girl than they do hauling apples across the interstate in a year” she replied. Ten hummed.

“Carolyn mention any names?” he asked.

“Like the Zetas out of Yadrioria?” Taeyong offered. The convict looked over at him and gave him a look.

“Come on, you’re talking about a network with about a dozen of truckers” she replied. 

“Is Casey Steele one of them?” Kun asked. The convict shrugged.

“Maybe; look, I wasn’t taking notes” she stated. Jaehyun sighed.

“Alright, what about the girls? What happens to them?” he asked. The convict shrugged again.

“Everything. Sex slaves, surrogates, organ donors; and if they survive the surgery, it starts all over. And it’s the truck driver’s job to keep the payload, the girls, alive and healthy. They don’t get paid if the cargo arrives dead” she explained. Kun made a face of disgust.

“More use out of one girl, the more money you make” he spat. 

“Which means Madeline could still be alive” Johnny mused. 

“Unless she’s trouble” the convict stated, making the five men look at her.

“That’s when they become body parts. Scattered from coast to coast” she explained. Everyone thought they were going to be sick at that statement, so Johnny motioned for the security to come and take the convict away as Kun turned.

“Excuse me” he croaked before he walked away. Taeyong, Jaehyun, Ten and Johnny looked at one another before the four men walked over to him.

“Kun? You okay?” Johnny asked gently, noticing that there were tears in the young man’s eyes. Kun sniffled as he looked at him.

“Hyung, I’ve seen what they do to these women. It’s…” he started before he paused and looked upwards, afraid he was going to burst into tears. He then took a deep breath and let out a shaky sigh.

“Body parts strewn by the highway, left like food for wild animals” he croaked. Taeyong looked at his friend with compassion and reached out, gently rubbing his arm before looking over at Johnny.

“You said that Madeline put up a fight. You said there was evidence of that in the truck” he stated. Johnny shook his head.

“Doesn’t mean she’s not alive, Tae. She’s pregnant. The child she’s carrying is worth a lot to these guys. My bet, Casey’s gonna make sure she’s gonna make it to her destination” he explained. Taeyong hummed as Kun took out his phone, making Ten raise an eyebrow.

“You gonna use that phone?” he asked. Kun nodded.

“I have to make a very difficult phone call to Madeline Brigg’s mother, who’s probably pacing up and down and checking voice messages, wondering what the hell I’ve discovered, if I found her daughter—” he started, voice raising in anger. Taeyong gently rubbed his arm as Johnny placed his hands on his hips.

“Kun, a case when no news is good news is no consolation” he soothed. Kun huffed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m glad I don’t have kids…spared myself the stress of this nightmare” he murmured. Ten chuffed.

“Not to be rude, Kun, but you don’t look so stress free to me” he stated. Kun looked at him before he laughed wetly.

“Because I’m not” he choked. Johnny, Ten, Taeyong, and Jaehyun looked at him with compassion; he was the youngest out of the five and he was already dealing with probably one of the hardest and worst cases of his career. Jaehyun this time reached out and rubbed Kun’s back, trying to bring the young man some comfort.

“It doesn’t get any easier, does it?” Kun croaked, looking up at the others. Johnny sighed and shook his head.

“Unfortunately, no. I’ve told parents about their dead or missing kids more times than I can count; hell, the first time…was one time too many” he whispered, his own eyes starting to get misty. Ten reached over and gave his arm a squeeze; Jaehyun, Kun, and Taeyong looking at him with sympathy and understanding. Johnny then took a deep breath before clearing his throat, composing himself. 

“One day a woman whispers “thank you” to me through her tears and I realize that she just needed to know that there was somebody doing everything they could for her child. And that’s what you’re doing right? That’s worth a phone call” he declared. The other four men looked at him in awe before Kun sniffled and wiped his eyes.

“Let’s go get this bastard” he declared. Johnny laughed.

“Read my mind” he replied. The five men then let out laughs before they turned and headed away from the park, heading back to the lab.

~*~*~*~*~

“I ran an organ recipient search with the National Donor list; a patient awaiting a liver, blood type AB+, withdrew from the list yesterday” Jungwoo stated as he and Lucas walked through the crime lab, Jungwoo handing Lucas a file.

“Could have died waiting” Lucas suggested. Jungwoo nodded.

“Yeah, I thought of that, but he’s still alive. Liver disease isn’t just something that goes away” he reminded. Lucas hummed.

“So you think he’s forgoing the national donor process and getting an organ off the black-market; possibly the liver from our victim in the back of the truck” he stated. Jungwoo nodded again.

“A Lecleusia clinic requested 50 pints of AB+ blood for prep of a liver transplant; that blood was delivered this morning” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving Johnny, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Kun, Ten went to the clinic where the blood was delivered and walked into the restricted area, soon greeted by a nurse.

“You don’t have authorization to go in there!” she exclaimed when Ten showed her his badge.

“This outta do it” he snarled.

“Dr. Fuller is about to start surgery!” the nurse exclaimed. However, Ten ignored her and continued into the operating room, heading into the scrub room where Dr. Fuller was thoroughly washing his hands.

“Dr. Fuller; I gotta couple questions for you” he growled. Dr. Fuller raised an eyebrow.

“Detective I assume you’re here about a liver” he stated. Ten frowned.

“It’s Sergeant, but yes” he replied. Dr. Fuller motioned to the cooler behind him, in the operating room.

“It’s there in that cooler” he stated before he huffed.

“But there’s also a man in there waiting for it, so you can arrest me now and he’ll die, or you can let me go in there and save his life” he stated. Ten looked at him before he snarled.

“I’ll be waiting for you” he growled. Dr. Fuller nodded before he headed into the operating room; Ten watching him with narrowed eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

After the operation, Ten dragged Dr. Fuller to the LPD and threw him in an interrogation room.

“I make a phone call” he stated. Ten raised an eyebrow.

“Every time to the same number?” he asked. Dr. Fuller nodded.

“Yes, again, same number every time. I tell ‘em what I need, I don’t know how or who does it. The cooler’s left for me at the clinic” he replied. 

“Is this the man that delivers the coolers?” Renjun called out as he walked into the interrogation room. Johnny was nice enough to let the doctor join the interrogation, especially because he was a crime scene investigator before he changed professions and became a medical examiner. He then placed a photo of Casey Steele down on the table for Dr. Fuller to look at. Dr. Fuller huffed.

“I told you, I don’t see faces. They’re just voices on a phone” he replied. Ten frowned.

“You must pay them” he stated.

“Cash. In an envelope, different post office box every time” Dr. Fuller replied. Ten crossed his arms.

“Yeah, okay. And what a going rate for a liver, Dr. Fuller?” he sneered. Dr. Fuller shrugged.

“Depends” he replied. 

“Depends on whether your patients are desperate or not? The closer they are to death the more they’ll pay or is it the more you’ll charge?” Renjun snarled. Dr. Fuller chuckled.

“I don’t set the price” he replied. 

“No, only for yourself” Renjun sneered before he crossed his arms.

“So tell me, doctor, how much do you get paid for turning a blind eye to the hypocritic oath?” he snarled. Dr. Fuller scoffed and looked away, making Renjun snarl, his eyes glowing lilac.

“No, look at me” he ordered, but Dr. Fuller didn’t turn his head.

**“I said look at me”** Renjun roared and this time, Dr. Fuller did look at him.

 **“The liver you transplanted today belonged to a healthy young woman who died to fill your pockets. Her name? Debbie Menzel”** he snarled as he slammed down photos of Debbie, one of when she was alive, one of her from the morgue, and one of the photo of the “X” on her abdomen.

**“And there are dozens more, just like her”** he continued as he slammed down more photos of missing women. Dr. Fuller looked down at the photos, horror slipping onto his face.

**“Their organs are being harvested in motel bathrooms and makeshift operating rooms. YOUNG GIRLS! WHO ARE BUTCHERED AND DUMPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND YOU AGREED TO THE OATH, DOCTOR! THE COVENANT! “I WILL KEEP THEM FROM HARM AND INJUSTICE”! DO YOU REMEMBER SAYING THOSE WORDS, HUH?”** Renjun shouted, anger coursing through his veins. Ten looked over at him in concern and Dr. Fuller couldn’t even bear to even look him in the eyes. Renjun sniffled and shook his head.

“You stupid, greedy son of a bitch” he spat before he turned and walked out of the interrogation room. Ten watched him go, making a mental note to have Johnny check on him when they got back. Dr. Fuller then reached out and took Casey Steele’s photo, looking at it before he looked up at Ten, shaking his head.

“I swear, I’ve never seen him before. It’s like I told you, I-I make a phone call—” he started.

“Yeah, right. Okay” Ten sneered before he threw his pad down onto the table.

“Write the phone number down, Mr. Fuller” he ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	90. Case 13: Hammer Down - TO BE CONTINUED

Back at the crime lab, Lucas walked into the conference room, where he, Taeyong, Kun, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Jaehyun were standing, and threw down a file onto the table, frustration on his face.

“Finding Madeline Briggs hasn’t gotten any easier” he growled.

“So we try harder. Phone number Ten got from the doctor had to give us something” Johnny stated, looking over at Xiaojun. 

“Yeah, we’re identifying all the calls made to that number over the last month; most of them are doctors, we’ll bring ‘em in, show them Casey Steele’s mug; I’ll see what I can get out of them” he stated. Taeyong shook his head.

“They’re not gonna know him, he’s a driver, drivers stay on the interstate and keep moving” he remined.

“It appears that one particular part of this business doesn’t mingle with another” Kun added.

“Protects them from knowing too much, from being able to identify anyone else in the bigger organization” Johnny finished.

“Well, we have managed to identify one player: Casey Steele. From everything we know about him, he’s not a one-man operation. If he’s as connected as we think he is, somebody is going to help him very soon” Lucas declared. Hendery huffed.

“Until then, he has to take care of a pregnant young woman” he reminded. Lucas nodded.

“Right. And the witness that Ten talked to didn’t mention that she was pregnant, which means that Madeline could still be in her first trimester with _at least_ six months left in her pregnancy” he stated. Jaehyun hummed.

“Still able to turn a few more tricks before she begins to show” he mused.

“Right, it’s all for the purpose of continuing their cash flow” Xiaojun agreed. 

“For them it’s just a business; right now Madeline is a dual revenue stream for them” Taeyong mused. Hendery sighed.

“Unfortunately, the demand is there. If it’s not for surrogacy, it’s prostitution, body parts, blood, eggs, hair, even bone marrow has a price. A lung or a kidney could sell for $100,000 on the black market” he stated, just as Xiaojun’s computer beeped, making him look over at it.

“Holy shit, hyung!” he called out, making Johnny look at him.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I just got a real time hit on Joseph Winston’s stolen phone. Waiting for our suspect to turn it on” he stated as his fingers flew over the keys.

“Triangulation traced it to a pharmacy on Riverside Drive, and I just tapped into their security cams” he declared, the pharmacy camera feed popping up on the television screen in the conference room. Everyone looked at the feed before Xiaojun pointed to the man in the feed.

“Wait a minute, that’s him, that’s Casey Steele” he declared. Kun narrowed his eyes at the feed.

“What’s he waiting for?” he demanded. Johnny said nothing before he turned to look at Hendery.

“Hendery, call the pharmacy, tell them to take their time. Xiaojun, call Jungwoo and Ten, they’re going shopping” he ordered. He then looked over at Kun, Taeyong, and Jaehyun.

“Let’s go” he ordered. The three men nodded as everyone exited the conference room.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, squad cars appeared outside of the pharmacy. When Casey poked his head out of the door and saw them, he took off down the street, shoving people out of his way. The minute he went running, Ten and Jungwoo, who were waiting for him, noticed.

“There he is” Jungwoo hissed.

“Let’s go” Ten ordered, both men getting out of the car before running after Casey. They chased after Casey, who was shoving people out of his way to try and get away from them. They shoved people too, apologizing as they ran past. At one point, Casey shoved a flower stand out into the sideway, causing Ten to jump over it.

“I’ll go after him; you go around the back” he instructed before he chased after Casey. Jungwoo nodded and continued running straight. 

~*~*~*~*~

Casey ran down the alley, slipping underneath a lowering truck ramp before heading down another alley. Ten followed after him, sliding underneath the ramp before popping back up onto his feet. He then pulled out his gun and slowly walked down the alley, looking left and right till his gut told him to look towards his left. However, when he looked towards a place where he thought Casey might hide, he was suddenly hit with a piece of metal roofing, which knocked him to the ground with a groan. Casey continued down the alley before he turned and began to climb up a metal ladder, just as Jungwoo came around the corner.

“Stop!” he shouted, racing over to the ladder before following Casey up them. Meanwhile, Ten was picking himself off the ground, groaning as he clutched at his head, since the damn thing was bleeding, just as Jungwoo made it to the top of the stairs, only to be kicked in the chest by Casey, causing him to fly backwards off the ladder. Thankfully he was agile and able to grab onto a nearby piece of metal sticking out of the warehouse wall before dropping to the ground. He hissed in pain before he turned and headed back up the ladder, just as Casey ran over to the door that was led to the inside of the warehouse and went through, closing and locking the door behind him. Jungwoo then made it to the platform and ran over to the door, jiggling the knob but the door wouldn’t open.

“FUCK!” he shouted just as Ten appeared beneath him, blood trickling down the side of his face from the cut on his head.

“Jungwoo!” he called out, making Jungwoo look down at him through the metal grated platform.

“I lost him!” he shouted. Ten shook his head, hissing as he did so.

“Well he couldn’t have gone far, he’s not that fast” he shouted back before he turned and looked at the officers by the truck.

“Guys, keep that side of the building covered, he might be coming towards you” he instructed.

“Hyung, you okay?” Jungwoo called down.

“I’m fine” Ten replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

After climbing down the ladder, Ten and Jungwoo headed back to the pharmacy; Jungwoo talking to one of the officers while Ten went to go talk to the people inside the pharmacy.

“See if they see anything around back” he ordered before he turned to see Lucas coming towards him.

“We’ve got every available patrol looking for this guy but he knows it now” he explained. Lucas nodded.

“That’s fine, but are you okay?” he asked. Jungwoo nodded.

“I mean, the bastard almost tried to kill me by kicking off a ladder, but other than that, I’m fine” he replied. Lucas let out a growl before he stepped forward and reached out, cupping the back of Jungwoo’s head as he placed a kiss to his forehead.

“I would have killed him if he hurt you” he snarled softly. Jungwoo chuckled.

“I know, Xu Xi, I know” he murmured, just as Ten stepped out of the pharmacy, his cut taped to stop the bleeding.

“According the pharmacist, Casey was waiting on a script for Diprivan to be filled” he stated as he walked over to Jungwoo and Lucas. 

“Yeah, well, it’s also known as Propofol; it’s a sedative” Lucas stated before he sighed and crossed his arms.

“Now the evidence we’ve taken from Casey’s truck indicates that he was injecting Madeline with it” he stated. Jungwoo nodded.

“Confirms what we were thinking, that Madeline is still alive” he stated, just as Ten’s phone began to ring. 

“Sergeant Leechaiyapornkul” he answered. He listened to whatever the person on the other line had to say before he nodded.

“We’re on our way” he declared before he hung up and looked at Jungwoo and Lucas.

“Couple of my boys found the car Casey stole parked around the corner” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

After getting the tipoff, Jungwoo, Lucas, and Ten headed over to the car, which indeed was parked around the corner.

“Think she’s in there?” Jungwoo asked as they neared the car.

“The trunk looks open” Lucas stated before he opened the trunk, only to find it empty. Jungwoo, Lucas, and Ten let out groans of frustration before Jungwoo sighed.

“Okay. If Casey went to the pharmacy alone…then where’s Madeline?” he asked. Lucas huffed.

“Obviously not here” he grumbled as Ten crossed his arms.

“Let’s just hope there’s something in his car that leads us in the right direction” he murmured. 

~*~*~*~*~

Ten then had the car taken back to the crime lab, where Xiaojun and Hendery went to work, shining their UV lights all over the interior of the car. At one point, Hendery found mud pressed into the break peddle, so he took a scraper and scraped some off, making Xiaojun look up at him.

“Whad’yu find?” he asked. 

“Got some fresh soil evidence in the break peddle” Hendery replied as he placed the sample into an evidence bag before looking over at Xiaojun.

“Maybe we can match it to a reference point; get a location as to where our driver’s been” he stated. Xiaojun raised an eyebrow in agreement before both men stood up and headed out of the forensic garage.

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the sample library, Lucas took the sample that Hendery found and placed into a tall graduated cylinder of water, taking notes of how he watched it fall to the bottom of the cylinder. Once he placed the evidence in the cylinder, he and Xiaojun ran it against all the other cylinders full of soil samples, mainly going off qualitative characteristics. They searched for what seemed like hours until Xiaojun finally got a hit.

“Boom! Got a match!” he exclaimed, making Lucas quickly walk over to him.

“Where?” he demanded. 

“Corona Scrap” Xiaojun replied. Lucas huffed.

“There’s nothing in that area save for maybe a couple dozen junkyards” he stated. 

“Well, let’s start with Corona Scrap, which is where we got our reference sample from” Xiaojun declared.

“I’ll call Johnny” Lucas stated before he walked out of the sample library.

~*~*~*~*~

After giving Johnny a call, ESU was on their way to the Corona area, where all officers quickly suited up, making sure that their guns were loaded and that their bulletproof vests were on.

“Hey Doc” Ten called out as he walked over to Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Kun, holding a rifle in his hand.

“Can I offer you a party favor?” he asked. Kun looked at the gun and shook his head.

“I’m gonna have to pass” he replied. 

“Price of admission, Kun. Casey Steele’s a shooter, I can’t risk you going in unarmed” Johnny called out as he walked over to them, cocking his own gun. Kun sighed before he took the rifle, holding it in his hands.

“Alright…did you know that the oldest projectile fired from a weapon was reported in the 4th Century in Japryae? It was fired from a very crude hand-held cannon that you lit with a wick; it’s whole purpose was for taking life” he explained before he sighed again.

“Seems that after seventeen hundred years of evolution—” he started before he cocked the rifle, startling everyone by the fact that he knew how to cock one.

“—we haven’t come very far, have we?” he finished with a small smile. Johnny laughed.

“No, I guess not” he replied, just as officers and ESU officers ran over to the five of them. 

“Time to go, John” Ten murmured. Johnny nodded before he faced all of the officers.

“Alright. Everyone knows the attack plan; the target is armed and dangerous, I want ESU all over the playing field on this; tight perimeter. We got air support on the way, but there are too many moving parts, so we gotta move now” he stated as Kun held up a picture of Madeline.

“Remember, we have an innocent in the mix: one female, Madeline Briggs” he added.

“If it goes bad, she’s a hostage, if it goes worse, she’s collateral” Taeyong deadpanned. 

“That means everyone stays hot, unless he decides not to use her” Jaehyun added. 

“Now let’s move!” Ten barked. The officers nodded and soon they headed out, heading deep into the scrap yard.

~*~*~*~*~

Deep in the scrap yard, ESU officers jumped out of the truck and swarmed a house, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Johnny, Ten, and Kun among them. One of the officers then used a battering ram and broke down the door, Johnny heading inside first, the others following him. They searched the house, not finding anything out of the ordinary, until Taeyong noticed a closed door. He frowned and narrowed his eyes before he slid open the door, pointing his gun into the room, only to pause. He blinked before he looked over at Kun, who was standing in the living room, gun ready to fire.

“Kun!” he called out, making Kun look over at him before walking over to look inside the bathroom, noticing the sand, torn duct tape, and sliced plastic ties in the tub.

“She was here” he murmured. 

~*~*~*~*~

Outside the house, Casey was walking back when he noticed an ESU officer standing outside. His eyes widened and he quickly drew his gun, alerting the officer.

“Hey, stop—” he started, but Casey was too quick, shooting the officer in the throat. Since the shot came from right outside, it alerted everyone inside. Johnny immediately went to go check it out, heading to the busted down door of the house, only to get shot at by Casey, who had gone and hid behind a car. Johnny fired a few shots off, but Casey was too quick, heading deeper into the junk yard.

“Fuck” he hissed before he looked down at the officer.

“Ten, man down!” he shouted before he jumped over a couple of cars and rushed after Casey.

“I got it” Ten replied as he rushed out of the house and knelt down beside the officer, offering words of comfort as he tried to get the man to stay conscious. Meanwhile, Kun came to the door and looked to the left before looking to his right, a plan forming in his head. He then took off to the right, Taeyong and Jaehyun coming out of the house right after him.

“You go after Johnny, I’ll go after Kun” Taeyong ordered. Jaehyun nodded and ran over to the cars, leaping over them to go follow after Johnny while Taeyong turned to the right and ran after Kun.

~*~*~*~*~

Casey continued to run through the junkyard, Johnny and Jaehyun hot on his heels. Meanwhile, Kun found a dirt bike and quickly hopped on, gunning the engine before taking off, Taeyong right behind him. Thank God Taeyong was a supernatural being or he would have been left in the dust. The four men continued to chase after Casey, Johnny and Jaehyun restoring to chasing him on the cars, since he decided to jump up and run across the hoods of the cars to try and get away from them. Kun continued to ride his bike, Taeyong right on his heels, until they came to a spot where they both knew Casey would try to make a break for it, since there were no cars or other sorts of protection around. Once they reached that spot, Kun hopped off his bike, turning off the engine before removing his gun from where it was across his body, cocking it and pointing it at Casey.

**“It’s over”** he growled, Taeyong also pointing his gun at Casey. Casey’s eyes widened and he tried to turn around, only to see Johnny and Jaehyun pointing their guns at him.

**“You move, and I’ll put a hole in ya”** Johnny growled.

**“Drop the weapon”** Jaehyun snarled. Casey didn’t move, causing Taeyong to growl.

**“PUT THE GUN DOWN!”** he ordered. Casey finally did what he was told, slowly placing the gun on the ground. Johnny then jumped off the hood of the car, Jaehyun doing the same, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, tossing them to Kun, who caught them and handcuffed Casey’s arms behind his back.

“Where is she? Where’s Madeline?” he hissed. Casey said nothing, making Kun spin him around and grip him by the front of his shirt.

“Where is she?” he snarled. Casey smirked.

“She’s gone” he whispered. Kun gave him a shake.

“The hell you mean, she’s gone?” he demanded. 

“Poof” Casey replied. Kun snarled before he grabbed Casey by the back of his neck, leading him back to the entrance of the junkyard, Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the entrance, Kun was about to hand Casey off when Johnny held out a hand, stopping him.

“Wait a minute” he stated before he looked at Casey.

“We checked your cellphone, Casey. You made repeated calls to the same mobile number, one right after the accident, the rest in the last 12 hours” he stated, making Casey shrug his shoulders.

“We’re gonna track down the person on the other end of that call” he continued. Casey scoffed.

“Good luck” he sneered. Kun huffed.

“I understand, Casey, you’re not afraid. So, listen to me and listen very carefully; it’s still not too late to make a deal” he stated. Casey nodded slowly.

“Oh, is that right?” he sneered. Kun nodded.

“That’s right. I give you my word I’ll do everything in my power to make sure everyone involved in this knows _you_ cooperated with us” he explained. Casey scoffed again.

“That kind of advertisement would put me in the morgue” he snapped. 

“Who’s the new transporter?” Taeyong demanded. 

“Who’d you hand her off to?” Jaehyun added. Casey looked at them but said nothing, making Kun snarl.

“Where are they taking Madeline?” he snapped, slowly losing patience. Casey was quiet before he looked at the four men before him.

“If you gentlemen don’t have any more questions for me, I think I’d like to go to jail now” he declared. Kun let out a growl before he stepped forward and grabbed Casey by the front of his shirt, eyes glowing blue. He then opened up the file that Johnny had placed down on the hood of the squad car and began pulling out pictures of other girls.

“Take a look. Where are they?” he demanded. Casey rolled his eyes.

“You don’t seriously expect me to remember them all, do you?” he sneered. Kun just tightened his grip on Casey’s shirt, making Casey’s eyes widened as he held up the photos of the girls.

**“I said take another look”** he snarled. Casey looked at the photos before he hummed.

“I think that one’s in Adamery. And Esaburn” he replied. Kun looked at him in disgust before he shoved him into a waiting officer’s arms.

**“Get him out of my sight”** he snarled. The officer nodded and dragged him away as Kun let out a deep sigh.

“Excuse me” he croaked before he turned and walked off. Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong looked at one another before they all sighed and followed after Kun, soon finding him on the phone, probably with Madeline Brigg’s mother.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll call you as soon as I know something” he assured before he hung up, slowly lowering the phone from his ear before he ran a hand through his hair and let out a choked sob. The three men looked at one another before they slowly made their way over to Kun, giving him enough space to let him get his emotions out before they fully stood around him.

“Hey…you okay?” Jaehyun asked, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Kun’s shoulder. Kun sniffled and wiped his eyes before he looked at the other CSIs. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine” he replied, clearing his throat before he held up his phone.

“That was Madeline’s mother. She’s convinced her daughter’s dead and there’s nothing I can say to offer her any kind of hope” he croaked, tears coming to his eyes again. 

“Kun, you’re going to find her” Taeyong soothed. Kun shook his head.

“I don’t—” he started when Johnny reached out and gently grabbed him by the biceps.

“Hey, look at me” he instructed, his voice gentle but firm. Kun sniffled and lifted his head to look up at the tall lieutenant, who looked at him with warm and fire-filled eyes.

“You’re going to find her. I know you will” he assured. Kun sniffled before he let out a weak laugh.

“Thank you” he croaked. Johnny smiled before he enveloped Kun into a hug, making Kun’s eyes widen before he melted into the hug, letting out a heavy sigh. Jonny then looked up at Taeyong and Jaehyun, still smiling.

“Bring it in, you two” he ordered playfully. Taeyong and Jaehyun chuckled before they allowed themselves to be enveloped in the hug as well.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, out on the road, another trucker with a sleeper compartment attached to the cab was driving down the highway, Madeline Briggs gagged and bound inside the sleeper. She let out a whimper as she slumped against the wall of the sleeper, wondering if anyone was going to come save her.

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	91. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 1

In Zeshana, two security guards were sitting up in the control room, supposed to be watching the security monitors, but one of them stepped out and one of them was watching a nature documentary on his own personal computer and eating pizza. On one of the monitors, a young girl in a short sequin dress ran into an elevator, accidentally bumping into the couple that was leaving. As soon as they were out of the elevator, the girl rushed over to the button panel and pressed the button for the bottom floor. The elevator was about to close when more people entered the elevator and one of the drunk young man pressed a whole row of buttons, making the young woman’s eyes widen before she pushed her way through the group of people and out of the elevator, running down the hall until she saw the emergency exit. She then threw open the door and ran down the stairs until she reached the main lobby, forcing herself to calm down and look normal as she walked past people coming into the hotel/casino until she reached the exit, where she then bolted, running to the gazebo. She then stopped, looked over her shoulder, but saw no one. When she thought she was safe, she slipped on her heels that she had been carrying and slowly walked through the gazebo and around the corner, only to be caught by someone in the shadows. She screamed and struggled and thankfully there was a camera aimed at her position because up in the security room, the security guard finally noticed her and saw what was happening.

“Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit” he hissed as he reached for his cellphone, dialing a number.

“Security; we’ve got an emergency in the garden. Send help, please, hurry” he begged as he watched the young woman collapse on the ground and lie still. Dead. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, police were on the scene.

“My supervisor’s going through all the video feeds; if we got her face on one of our cameras, uh, you guys are going to have it” the security guard stated to CSI Assistant Supervisor Liu Yangyang, a tall young man with light tan skin, light brown hair, and brown eyes. 

“You better pray she doesn’t have a family; they’re gonna sue you and this whole joint for gross negligence. Take a hike, go with him” he ordered, motioning to a police officer. The officer nodded and led the security guard away as Yangyang pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

_“This is Dr. Qian Kun. Leave a message”_ a voice replied on the other line.

“Kun-ge. Where are you? You were supposed to be back an hour ago” he whined before he hung up. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, out on the strip, Taeyong, Johnny, Jaehyun, Ten, and Kun were walking around, showing pictures of Madeline Briggs to people as they walked by.

“Have you seen this woman?” Kun asked. The man he asked shook his head and continued walking.

“Excuse me, have you see this woman?” Johnny asked, showing Madeline’s photo to a woman, but she just shook her head. Taeyong then showed two women a picture of the girl, who smirked at him.

“Hey handsome, wanna party?” one girl purred. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, thank you. I’m looking for this woman. Her name is Madeline Briggs” he stated. The two girl’s eyes widened.

“Cop!” they exclaimed before they turned and rushed off. Taeyong groaned.

“I’m not a cop! I just want to know if you’ve seen this woman!” he called out.

“I seen lots of people” a voice called out, making Taeyong turn towards her.

“What about her? Have you seen her?” he asked, showing her Madeline’s photo, Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, and Kun coming up behind him. The girl looked at the photo and shook her head.

“Sorry. She’s too pretty to be a track ho” she replied before she looked at Taeyong.

“Um, you think you could spare some frog skin? I ain’t eaten since yesterday” she explained. Ten frowned at the girl.

“That’s a pretty bad rash you have. I work at a clinic. It’s not too far from here. If you want to come over and have that looked at—” he started as he pulled out a twenty dollar bill. The girl huffed before she took the twenty and walked off, just as a black ford pulled up.

“Hyung” a voice called out, making Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, Kun, and Taeyong turn to see a tall young man with light skin, black hair, and brown eyes sticking his head out of the driver’s side window.

“Yeah?” Kun replied. The young man, Lee Jeno, rolled his eyes.

“You got your phone on you?” he demanded. Kun nodded and pulled out his phone.

“Yeah, it’s right here” he replied. 

“Did you forget how to fucking use it? You were non-responsive. We thought you were in trouble. Don’t scare us like that” Jeno scolded as he stepped out of the car and walked over to the five men. Kun smiled apologetically.

“Sorry Jeno” he apologized. Jeno huffed.

“It’s fine, but if you really want to hide out, you gotta ditch the department cell. They all have GPS” he reminded before he frowned.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked. Jaehyun held up a photo of Madeline Briggs.

“That’s what we’re doing here” he deadpanned. Jeno looked at the photo before he looked up at Jaehyun with wide eyes.

“Hyung?!” he exclaimed. Jaehyun smirked.

“Hey kid” he replied. Kun, Johnny, and Ten looked at him in confusion.

“You know him?” Johnny asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“He used to work for me up in Xuswiunia before I moved to Yadrioria” he explained. Everyone nodded slowly as Jeno pointed to the photo.

“Madeline Briggs?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Madeline Briggs, yeah” he replied. Jeno huffed before he looked at Kun.

“You guys have been back for ten days. Is this what you’ve been doing every night?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Basically” he replied. Jeno looked over at him and smiled.

“Hi hyung” he greeted. Taeyong smiled and reached out, pinching his cheek.

“Hi Jeno” he replied. Jeno beamed before he frowned.

“I thought the trail went cold in Lecleusia” he stated. Kun huffed.

“It did. But this picture was taken a week ago at Pecos Bill Casino. Security trespassed her off the property for soliciting. She’s here, Jeno. She’s hooking” he explained. Jeno frowned.

“Have you been in contact with her mother?” he asked. Kun sighed and shook his head.

“Not since Lecleusia, but I told this woman I would do everything I could to find her daughter, so…here we are” he explained. Jeno looked at him for a moment before he nodded.

“Alright, tell you what. Let’s take care of the call-out first. Then after shift, I’ll round up the guys and we’ll all come out here with you and help pass out pictures, okay?” he offered. Kun sighed.

“Alright” he agreed. Jeno beamed.

“Great, now let’s go. Since you’ve been gone, Yangyang’s been a hard ass” he grumbled. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Yangyang works for the ZPD now? I haven’t heard from him since the case I worked with you” he stated, looking over at Jaehyun. Jeno chuckled as he climbed into the hummer, the others doing the same.

“Oh, we all work for Kun now. Me, Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung; once Jaehyun hyung left, we were searching for a job when he found us and told us he was hiring” he explained. Jaehyun smiled.

“Can’t wait to see my boys again” he murmured. Jeno laughed.

“Oh don’t worry hyung, they’re all gonna be excited to see you” he assured.

~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the scene, the officer let them underneath the police tape and they walked over to Yangyang, who was pacing like a caged tiger.

“Yangyang” Kun called out, making him look over at the six of them.

“Kun-ge!” he exclaimed before he looked over to see Taeyong.

“Taeyong hyung!” he added, rushing over to give his former boss a hug. Taeyong laughed and gave him a squeeze before he pulled away.

“Nice to see you again” he stated before he motioned to Jaehyun.

“My husband, Dr. Jung Jaehyun” he introduced. Yangyang’s eyes widened.

“Oh, wow. Hi. Um, Liu Yangyang, CSI Assistant Supervisor” he replied. Jaehyun smiled and dipped his head.

“Nice to meet you” he replied. Yangyang nodded before he looked at Johnny and Ten.

“Oh god, sorry. I’m Liu Yangyang, CSI Assistant Supervisor” he greeted, holding out his hand.

“Lieutenant Johnny Seo, Lieutenant of the Lecleusia Police Department” Johnny replied, shaking Yangyang’s hand. Ten then shook Yangyang’s hand as well.

“Sergeant Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, but please, call me Ten” he continued. Yangyang nodded before he looked at Kun and placed his hands on his hips.

“So, where the hell have you been, Kun-ge?” he demanded. Kun smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry, got held up. What’s going on?” he asked. Yangyang motioned to the young woman on the ground.

“We got a dead woman, no I.D. In her purse, $40 in cash, half a dozen condoms, a few roofies, and some baby wipes. What does that tell you?” he asked. Jeno shrugged.

“Standard hooker tool kit” he replied as he motioned to the contents of the girl’s purse.

“$20 for cab fare, $20 for the bartender to look the other way. Which means she probably hasn’t tricked yet” he continued as Yangyang crossed his arms.

“Well, it looks like word’s already gotten out on the ho-vine” he murmured, making Johnny, Ten, Kun, Jaehyun, and Taeyong look at him with narrowed eyes.

“The “ho-vine”?” Johnny repeated. Yangyang looked at him and nodded.

“Yeah, you know, when the hookers get wind the cops are here, they start texting each other like mad and then they, they book out of here like a shot” he explained, motioning to some women in tight fitting dresses heading away from the hotel.

“I’m gonna go catch up with them and see if I can get some information. Bye Kun-ge. And next time, answer your damn phone” he grumbled, pointing an accusing finger at Kun, who laughed.

“I will, I will. Now go, you punk” he teased. Yangyang stuck his tongue out at him playfully before he walked away, leaving Jeno alone with the others. Ten chuffed.

“He’s something” he mused. Taeyong chuckled.

“Yeah, but he gets the job done” he assured. Kun hummed.

“That he does” he replied before he summoned a flashlight and knelt down beside the body, Jeno kneeling on the other side of the body, Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, and Taeyong standing around them.

“Throat’s cut clean, linear. My guess would be…a straight razor severed the common carotid” he theorized as Jaehyun looked around the garden.

“There’s a lot of ways in and out of here. Killer could have come from any direction” he mused. Johnny looked at the blood on the girl’s arm and hummed.

“With an arterial spurt like this, they usually get at least some blood on their shoes but I don’t see any tread marks” he murmured, just as a tall young man with light skin, midnight blue hair, and brown eyes by the name of Zhong Chenle arrived at the scene.

“Kun-ge, I’m so sorry I’m late. I was on that biker shoot-out in Pahrump. Lots of gurney work” he apologized. Kun looked at him and shook his head.

“It’s alright Chenle” he replied, smiling softly. Chenle smiled before he noticed Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“Hyungs!” he exclaimed, a bright smile on his face as he walked over to them and threw his arms around them, hugging them tightly.

“Hey Lele” Jaehyun cooed, stroking the back of Chenle’s head. Chenle then pulled away and looked at them.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked. Taeyong smiled.

“Helping Kun out” he replied before he motioned to Johnny and Ten.

“Chenle, this is Lieutenant Johnny Seo and Sergeant Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul” he introduced. Chenle blinked at Ten’s long name and Ten laughed.

“Oh, you’re so cute. Please, call me Ten” he instructed. Chenle smiled before he bowed.

“Zhong Chenle, nice to meet you” he replied before he looked down at the body.

“Holy shit! This is Dede Chase” he breathed. 

“Who?” Kun asked, frowning. Chenle looked up at him.

“Dede Chase. She’s the uh…Meteorologist on Channel 27 in Barstow” he explained. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“You sure about that, kid?” he asked. Chenle nodded.

“Oh yeah” he replied. Jeno frowned at him.

“Why do you watch the weather in Barstow?” he asked. Chenle shrugged.

“I don’t know, I just like her better than some of the other meteorologist” he explained. Jaehyun frowned.

“What’s a weather girl from Barstow doing turning tricks in Zeshana?” he asked. Jeno sighed.

“These days…seems like everybody has a second job” he murmured. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	92. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 2

Back at the crime lab, down in the morgue, a tall young man with light skin, dusty blue hair, and brown eyes by the name of Na Jaemin stood next to the body, taking pictures of it.

“Took a lot of makeup to cover these bruises” he murmured.

“I collected the SAE kit. There were vaginal abrasions at 3:00 and 4:00 to 8:00; consistent with violent sexual activity. And the wet mount was negative, so no DNA on whoever she was with” a tall young man with light skin, dark red hair, and brown eyes by the name of Dr. Park Jisung stated.

“Lots of purplish-blue contusions. Somebody worked her over pretty good, most likely within the last day or two” Jaemin murmured. Jisung hummed when he noticed a tattoo on the back of her neck; pulling the skin slightly so he could see it better.

“Tat’s still fresh too. Skin’s still inflamed. Ink can’t be more than 48 hours old” he mused, just as Chenle looked over at them.

“Hey guys, check this out” he stated as he turned his laptop towards them and pressed play.

_“Well we have a fabulous weekend ahead of us. With highs in the upper 70s, lows in the mid-40s though, so bring a jacket if you’ll be staying out late. I know I will be. That’s your high desert weather. I’m Dede Kase. Chase. Wow, of all the things to screw up, I choose my own name. I’m Dede…Chase”_ the young woman in the video, who was now laying on the exam table, declared. Chenle then shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe Dede was a hooker. Maybe she just liked things a little dangerous” he murmured. Jisung huffed.

“Well, certainly wouldn’t be the first time a good girl starts looking for love in all the wrong places” he murmured as Jaemin picked up a flashlight and shown it onto the earring Dede was wearing.

“There’s blood on this earring, but I only saw blood on that side of her face” he stated, pointing to the other side of Dede’s face. Jisung shrugged.

“Well, straight razors are hard to handle. People cut themselves with them all the time” he reminded. Jaemin hummed.

“So, this blood could be the killer’s” he whispered. Jisung nodded.

“Mm. Swab it” he instructed. 

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the computer lab, Jeno and Kun were going through the security footage, trying to find their killer.

“Well fuck. There’s no image of the killer. The camera is completely blocked” Kun grumbled. Jeno hummed.

“Can we see how she got there?” he asked. Kun nodded.

“Yeah. Tangiers surveillance was very cooperative” he replied as he wound back the tape to see Dede in an elevator with a man.

“We know who he is?” Jeno asked. Kun chuckled.

“Now, don’t get excited. He’s on surveillance playing roulette at the time of the murder. He’s also a hotel guest; Yangyang took his statement. He said he picked the girl up at the bar, they went upstairs, and she split” he explained before he pointed to another camera.

“Now this is the earliest we can put Dede Chase in the hotel” he stated. Jeno shrugged.

“Okay, so she meets a guy in the bar and they head up to his room” he stated. Kun nodded.

“Right, there’s no sign of violence, no argument, nothing inconsistent with a woman out for a fling” he replied as Jeno narrowed his eyes at the footage.

“That elevator is in the south tower. She came down the elevator in the north tower; means she ran all the way across the hotel just to leave? If she got cold feet, why not just take the next car down?” he asked. Kun hummed.

“That’s a good question” he agreed as he went back to the footage of Dede in the bar. 

“You know, maybe this pickup in the bar was a cover. Maybe she was running from somebody; somebody who was already down there waiting for her” Jeno mused, just as Chenle, who came up from the morgue, walked over to them and handed them some papers.

“Here’s the dump on the vic’s cellphone. Three days prior to her death, she received twenty-eight phone calls from a cellphone out of Bartstow registered to one Brett McDowell” he stated. Kun hummed.

“Wonder if he’s the jealous violent type” he murmured. Chenle shrugged.

“Shouldn’t be hard to find out. I tracked his plastic; his credit card was just run at the 4 Kings. He’s in town” he declared, handing another piece of paper to Jeno. Kun hummed before he cleared his throat.

“I’ll have Yangyang and Taeyong talk to him” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

In the interrogation room, Taeyong and Yangyang walked in to see an older man sitting down at the table.

“Enjoying your time in Zeshana, Mr. McDowell?” Yangyang asked as he sat across from McDowell, Taeyong standing behind him.

“Uh, yeah, I guess. What is this about?” McDowell asked. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“What’s your relationship to Dede Chase?” he demanded. McDowell blinked at him before frowning.

“We’re colleagues; I’m her producer” he stated. Yangyang raised an eyebrow.

“Were you banging her?” he asked. McDowell looked at him in shock.

“Excuse me?” he exclaimed as Taeyong pulled out his phone, went to the voice record app, and held it up.

“Listen to this” he instructed before pressing play.

_“Dede, damn it, you do not call my house. You do it ever again and I promise you there will be consequences”_ McDowell’s voice growled over the recording. 

“There’s a lot more like that on this tape” Taeyong stated as he paused the recording and placed his phone back in his pocket. He then pointed at McDowell’s left hand.

“I see you’ve taken off your wedding ring recently” he stated, causing McDowell to cover his hand. Yangyang hummed.

“So you’re married. Does your wife know about these phone calls?” he asked. McDowell’s face scrunched up before he sighed.

“Okay, okay. Look, uh, Dede and I were having an affair” he admitted. Taeyong hummed.

“Well, that’s a good place to start” he mused as Yangyang pulled out his notepad and pen to start taking notes. 

“We came to Zeshana to resolve a few…issues. She wanted me to get a divorce and I said you know, I couldn’t afford that, so—” McDowell started.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Yangyang asked. McDowell sighed.

“Three nights ago” he replied. Taeyong tilted his head.

“Where was that?” he asked. McDowell made a face.

“On the street” he replied before he shrugged.

“She told me to go to Hell, so I drove back to Barstow” he replied. Taeyong and Yangyang glared at him.

“So you left her on a street corner in a strange town all by herself?!” Yangyang roared.

“That’s why I came back, I got worried, you know? She didn’t show up at work and she wasn’t returning any of my calls” McDowell explained as Taeyong summoned a photo and placed it before McDowell; the photo was of Dede from the scene.

“Well, she had good reason” he snapped. McDowell looked at the photo in shock.

“You thought she was going to make good on her threat and send your marriage and half your assets down the toilet so you decided to cut your losses along with her throat, is that what you did?” Yangyang sneered. McDowell shook his head.

“I would never do anything like that, I swear” he whimpered. Taeyong hummed.

“I’m gonna need your DNA, I’m gonna need a list of all the people you’ve met while you were here, and all the places you went. That means bars, restaurants, hotels, tattoo parlors, clubs” he stated. McDowell frowned.

“Tattoo parlors? What are you talking about?” he asked. Yangyang motioned to the photo.

“Well, there is some evidence that she got a tattoo in the last two days” he explained. McDowell shook his head.

“She hated tattoos. She thought that they made women look cheap” he explained. Yangyang and Taeyong looked at one another before they frowned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	93. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 3

In one of the empty labs that Kun was so nice enough to let him borrow, Jaehyun was searching through the VICE database of all the tattoos that they had stored. After a moment, Jaehyun found the tattoo and clicked on it. Once the photo was pulled up, he pulled up the photo of the tattoo on the back of Dede’s neck, noting that for the most part, they were very similar.

“Nice” he whispered to himself before he pulled up a list of known prostitutes who had the same tattoo on them. He then looked at the column labeled “pimp” to see if he could find a name, but unfortunately, all of the names were labeled “unknown”. 

“Well fuck” he grumbled. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile in Jaemin’s lab, Jaemin’s computer beeped with a notification that a match was found to the blood that was on Dede’s earring. He clicked on the notification and the results popped up to show that the blood on the earring belonged to Madeline Briggs. His eyes widened in shock before he stuck his head out of his lab.

“Hyung!” he called out, making Johnny, Ten, Taeyong, Jaehyun (who’s lab was right across from his), and Kun look up.

“Yes, Jaemin?” Kun replied as he and the others walked into his lab. Jaemin opened his mouth to say something when his eyes fell on Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“Jaehyun hyung? Taeyong hyung?” he breathed. Jaehyun smiled.

“Hey Jaemin” he replied before he motioned to his computer.

“What did you find?” he asked. Jaemin blinked before his eyes widened in remembrance.

“Oh right! The blood on the weather girls earring wasn’t hers or Brett McDowell’s. It was Madeline Briggs” he declared. The five men looked at Madeline’s photo in shock before Kun sighed.

“Great” he grumbled. Jaemin then looked at Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. Taeyong smiled.

“Giving Kun a hand with his investigation” he replied. Jaemin nodded before he looked over at Johnny and Ten.

“Hi. CSI Na Jaemin” he greeted. Johnny smiled and dipped his head.

“Lieutenant Johnny Seo and my partner, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul” he replied, motioning to Ten, who grinned. 

“Nice to meet you. Please, call me Ten” he greeted. Jaemin smiled and nodded.

“The pleasure’s all mine” he replied before he tilted his head.

“You saw Chenle and Jeno right?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Haven’t seen Jisung yet” he stated. Jaemin smiled.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see him at some point” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving Jaemin’s lab, Kun, Yangyang, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Johnny, Ten, Jeno, and Jaemin were in another lab, looking at photographs. 

“Okay, Madeline Briggs and Dede Chase. What’s the connection?” Ten asked, hands on his hips.

“Madeline Briggs fell prey to an interstate human trafficking ring. Took her from Yadrioria to Lecleusia to Zeshana where she was probably forced into prostitution” Kun stated. 

“Her blood was found on an earring worn by Dede Chase, the TV weather girl from Barstow” Jaemin added. 

“Who ended up with her throat slit in the Tangier’s garden sporting a new tattoo associated with known prostitutes” Jeno finished. Johnny crossed his arms.

“So how did she cross paths with Madeline?” he asked. Jaemin hummed before he looked at Taeyong.

“Well, you said the earring belong to Madeline, right?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Right” he replied. Jaemin shrugged.

“If she and Dede were sharing jewelry, it suggests they were living together, so maybe they had the same pimp” he offered. Jaehyun sighed.

“Possibly, but VICE tattoo database didn’t ID the pimp” he stated. Kun was quiet before he frowned.

“What’s today’s date?” he asked. Jeno looked down at his watch.

“The 15th. Why?” he asked. Kun smirked.

“I think I know where we can find a lot of pimps tonight” he declared. Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, and Taeyong looked at one another before they looked at him.

“How?” he asked. Kun shrugged.

“It comes with living in Zeshana. Pays to know your environment. Isn’t that what you said to me all those years ago, hyung?” he replied, looking over at Taeyong, who smirked.

“So you were paying attention” he teased. Kun chuckled.

“Yup” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening, in the club, women and men were dancing and having a good time as Johnny and Ten stepped into the scene. 

“By all means, ZPD, feel free to look around. We ain’t got none of them real law breaking kind of pimps in here. This here’s DJ Tall K’s Playa Con” the door man declared. Ten and Johnny looked at one another before Johnny huffed and crossed his arms.

“No, right, I understand. This is, uh, technically speaking, just an elaborate costume party” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

While they were talking to the doorman, Taeyong and Jaehyun were walking around the club, Taeyong spotting a girl with a tattoo just like the one Dede was wearing. Taeyong then snapped a pic of the tattoo before he and Jaehyun slipped past some of the patrons as one of the pimps was making a speech.

“Winning the Golden Pimp, as Daddy of the Year, is an honor for DJ Sickbone cause pimpin’ ain’t just about sex and bling” the man on stage stated as Jaehyun and Taeyong continued around the club, Jaehyun noticing another girl with the same tattoo. He then took a picture of her tattoo before he and Taeyong continued on.

“It’s about standing up to the man and shaking off that slave mentality. Touch” the man continued. Meanwhile, another pimp was sitting down at a booth with a bunch of girls around him.

“Nah, baby, baby, listen. See, I’m what you call…a life improvement coach. It ain’t all about business with me” he explained as he took a roll of cash out of his jacket pocket, slipped a $100 dollar bill out of the roll, and handed it to the blonde sitting next to him.

“I love my wifeys” he continued. Meanwhile, Kun and Yangyang were standing not too far away, Yangyang sighing as Kun walked over to him.

“I’ve always heard about pimps who would come to the club to recruit” he murmured. Kun hummed.

“They just have a gift for sniffing out the damaged and needy” he agreed.

“That’s what it’s all about; love. And I’m getting a vibe from you that you haven’t always got enough…especially from your father, am I right?” the pimp continued, looking at the blonde girl, making her nod.

~*~*~*~*~

At another couch, a man was sitting surrounded by a bunch of girls as he was being filmed.

“Americans are so puritanical. You need to open your mind. This is a Dionysian festival, a celebration of life that stretches back thousands of years. The ancient Greeks greeted the spring—” the man stated as Taeyong and Jaehyun walked by, finally meeting up with Johnny, Ten, Kun, and Yangyang.

“Well, we talked to a few of the girls with the heart and diamond tattoos but nobody knows nothing about pimps or hoes in this place” Taeyong grumbled. Yangyang huffed.

“Well, we could just haul the whole lot of them in for questioning” he suggested when Kun shook his head.

“No, that won’t work; these girls are used to being rousted. Plus, we have no leverage” he reminded. Jaehyun, meanwhile, was looking over at one of the girls who were dancing and taking money from some of the pimps, and hummed.

“I don’t know, maybe we do” he mused, making the others look over at him.

“I’ve got an idea” he stated as he motioned to the girl up on the stage.

“That’s one of our tattooed ladies. Why don’t we talk to her?” he suggested. He then looked at Johnny and pointed to him.

“Let’s go” he instructed. Johnny nodded as Ten looked over at Taeyong.

“You’re not gonna get jealous, are you?” he teased. Taeyong laughed.

“I’m not. Are you?” he replied. Ten scoffed.

“Of course not” he replied. Taeyong chuckled.

“I think it’s actually pretty smart of them, seeing as they’re both very attractive. She might be more willing to talk to them” he mused. 

~*~*~*~*~

Johnny and Jaehyun walked over to the stage as the girl was kneeling down to pick up some recently thrown cash; Johnny flashing his badge.

“LPD and YPD, ma’am. We have reason to believe that you are holding a controlled substance” he stated. The girl looked at him in shock before she shook her head.

“Oh no, not me sir” she replied. Jaehyun chuckled.

“You know what I love about science?” he asked before he reached over and snatched the twenty from the girl’s dress.

“It doesn’t lie” he declared. The girl frowned at him.

“Hey, I earned that” she argued as Jaehyun handed the money over to Johnny, who ran some solution over the money and into a container, which Jaehyun was holding.

“I don’t mind paying a ho-tax on a straight-up bust, but this is bogus” the girl continued. Jaehyun then shook the bag, watching as it turned blue, before showing it to the woman.

“Look at that. Positive for cocaine” he declared. The girl’s eyes widened in shock as Johnny looked over at her and smirked.

“Looks like you’re under arrest. Come with us” he instructed, causing the girl to look at them in shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	94. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 4

Back at the crime lab, Kun was walking to his office when he saw a woman already standing inside. The minute he saw her, he sighed before stepping inside.

“Hello Mrs. Briggs” he greeted. The woman, Mrs. Briggs, glared at him.

“Why didn’t you let me know that Madeline had been photographed in one of your casino’s?” she snapped. Kun shook his head.

“Mrs. Briggs, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“You said you would let me know if there were _any_ developments! Do you think I’m just sitting at home waiting by the phone?! I have been on every law enforcement website and list service across the country. I know how to network!” Mrs. Briggs exclaimed. Kun nodded slowly.

“I understand and I apologize; I should have let you know. But we have some evidence that Madeline was in Zeshana; it was about a week ago. That may no longer be the case, you understand? This is not something you can pin your hopes to” he reminded, just as Mrs. Briggs held up a hand.

“Okay, just…don’t decide what information I’m capable of handling, alright?” she instructed. Kun looked at her before he nodded. He then opened the file he was carrying and showed her the picture of Madeline that was taken at the club.

“She’s…she’s with a cop. They would have let her call me, why didn’t she call me?” Mrs. Briggs demanded, her voice going soft.

“I would have come; I would have brought her back home…” she continued before she let out a sob.

“God, I don’t care what she’s done. I just want to bring my Maddy home” she whimpered.

~*~*~*~*~

“This was recorded at the Clark County Detention Center about an hour ago” Yangyang declared as he and Ten stood behind an officer who was sitting at a computer.

“Go ahead” he instructed. The officer nodded and played the audio recording.

_“I’m so, so sorry to bug you Daddy, it’s just…I’m really scared”_ a woman’s voice stated on the recording.

_“Bitch, I told you never to call me from in there. They hear everything we say”_ a man’s voice growled.

_“They said that my money tested positive for coke. They said that that means hard time”_ the woman explained.

_“Every bill in America has cocaine on it. Stupid bitch!”_ the man growled before he hung up. Ten then looked over at Yangyang.

“So, did you trace the call?” he asked. Yangyang sighed.

“It went to a disposable cell; there was no address” he replied, just as his phone beeped.

“Someone just came in here to post Diane Jasper’s bail” he declared as he looked at the notification on his phone. Ten hummed.

“Oh; Daddy sent somebody to bring wifey home. Must really love her” he mused as he and Yangyang stepped out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, on the street, a white car pulled up into a fancy driveway, not realizing that they were being followed by a black car which Jaehyun and Taeyong were in. When the white car parked, a middle-age black woman got out from the driver’s side while Diane got out from the passenger’s side. As they were walking up the driveway, Taeyong began taking pictures while Jaehyun sat behind the wheel, the photos immediately being sent back to the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Chenle was staring at a computer and watching as the images were uploaded. Once he got faces from the photos, he began running them through the database to see if he could identify the woman who got out of the driver’s side. Once he found her ID, he dialed Jaehyun’s number, which he still had from when he worked with him.

“The woman who posted bail is Susan Samuels. Career prostitute; busts for narcotics and solicitation spanning over three decades, but nothing recent. The house belongs to her. She has a son, Anthony, 28. No criminal record. And, apart from a brief stint in the food service industry, no employment history either. Best guess is, mom retired and left Anthony the family business” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Thanks Lele” Jaehyun thanked as Taeyong looked over at him.

“We need to get into that house” he declared. Jaehyun nodded in agreement.

“I know” he replied. 

“Any judges owe you favors?” Taeyong asked, looking over at him. Jaehyun scoffed.

“I know no one from here. Maybe we can ask Kun” he stated. Taeyong hummed.

“True…but we gotta sit on this place until we get enough probable cause” he reminded. 

_“Hey hyung…I think I got something”_ Chenle called out from the phone.

“Go ahead Lele” Taeyong ordered. 

_“He’s wearing Madeline Brigg’s earring”_ Chenle declared. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before Jaehyun smirked.

“That enough probable cause for you?” he asked. Taeyong looked at him before gently punching him in the arm.

“Call Kun and the others. We’re going in” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, SWAT along with Johnny, Ten, Taeyong, Kun, and Jaehyun burst into the house; Kun out in front.

“Zeshana Police. Remain calm; we have a warrant to search the premises” he called out as SWAT surrounded Anthony, his mother, and the prostitutes.

“Aight, yo, yo, yo. Everybody be cool, okay? It’s my mom’s house, I’m just visiting” Anthony called out as Kun, Johnny, Ten, Taeyong, and Jaehyun slowly walked over to him as SWAT began to search the house.

“You won’t even let me put my shirt on?” Anthony asked. 

“No” Johnny growled. Anthony huffed.

“No, that’s what’s up?” he sneered as Kun walked over to the girl on the couch next to Anthony.

“Put your hands up” he ordered. The girl did as she was told as Ten walked over to one of the closed doors, hearing moans coming from inside. He made a face before he looked back at Johnny, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Kun, all of which who nodded. Ten then removed his sidepiece from his holster before kicking open the door to see Diane, in her underwear, sitting on a chair, her mouth duct taped with blood all over her chest. Taeyong then rushed over to her and gently lifted her head, carefully removing the duct tape from her mouth as Kun pulled out a walkie-talkie.

“I need the paramedics in here; we have an injured woman on the first floor” he ordered. Once Taeyong removed the duct tape from her mouth, he tipped back her head and placed a finger on her pulse point to make sure she was still alive.

“Can you say your name?” he asked gently.

“Diane” the woman croaked.

~*~*~*~*~

“We’re looking for this woman. Her name is Madeline Briggs. Now, if any of you have seen her, we want to know” Jaehyun declared as he held up Madeline’s picture and walked down the line of prostitutes, as well as Anthony and his mother.

“It might make things easier—” he started when Anthony stepped out of line.

“That’s right, ladies. You help the cops out in any way you can” he called out when Johnny pointed at him, eyes glowing red.

**“Get your ass back in line”** he growled. Anthony smirked and refused to move, so Ten stepped forward and shoved him back.

“Oo, feisty” Anthony teased. Ten snarled.

**“If you even think about doing anything, I’ll rip your heart right out of your chest”** he snarled. Anthony gulped and hung his head as Jaehyun just continued to hold up the photo of Madeline. The girl at the front of the line then motioned with her eyes towards one of the rooms, making Jaehyun frown before he walked over to the room she was motioning to. He then stepped inside to find one neatly made bed and one messily made bed. He walked over to the neatly made bed and frowned before yanking off the duvet coverings as well as the sheets to reveal a large bloodstain on the mattress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	95. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 5

At the crime lab, Kun took the bloody mattress that Jaehyun discovered and placed markers around the blood stains before taking photos of the blood stains.

~*~*~*~*~

At Anthony’s mother’s house, Jaemin was taking photos of the room, mainly of a bowl full of disposable cellphones and jewelry, while Jeno swapped a baseball bat. He then placed a drop of phenolphthalein onto the swab, watching as it fluoresced pink.

“Jaemin” he called out, making Jaemin look over at him as he held up the swab. Jaemin raised an eyebrow before he went back to taking photos of the scene as Jeno placed the swab in a protective case to take back to trace.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Chenle looked around before he noticed a brick pizza oven. He frowned before he walked over to the oven and knelt down, looking inside the wood storage.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Kun cut a piece of the mattress, a piece with blood on it.

~*~*~*~*~

At the scene, Jaemin took photos of some of the girl’s clothes before he noticed the purple leather purse that was among them. He then grabbed purse and began rummaging inside while Jeno took the baseball bat and turned it over, tape-lifting a fingerprint off the handle of the bat.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Chenle was still looking at brick oven when he noticed that some of the bricks looked weird. So he opened his tool kit and pulled out a mini prybar, prying away the bricks to reveal a small case. He then pulled out the case and broke the lock, opening it to reveal money, dice, playing chips, and a wallet. And this wasn’t just any wallet; it was Dede Chase’s.

~*~*~*~*~

“You know, you and I have a lot more in common that you may think” Johnny stated as he stood before Anthony in the interrogation room. Anthony raised an eyebrow at him.

“What? That we both got hot partners?” he teased. Johnny chuckled.

“Oh, you’re quite the jokester, aren’t you?” he replied before he shook his head.

“No, what I was going to say is that we’re both in the family business. My uncle was a cop, my father was a cop, and now here I am. And if I had your family life, I’d be a sorry ass sleezeball pimp like you” he sneered. Anthony laughed.

“I’m not a pimp” he replied. Johnny scoffed.

“Come on, playa. You live with a bunch of prostitutes” he reminded.

“Ey, _playa_. That’s just who I am. I like banging strippers and whores” Anthony replied, smirking at Johnny. Johnny huffed and crossed his arms.

“You like to beat them up too, right? Like Diane Jasper?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I had nothing to do with that” Anthony replied. Johnny gave him a look.

“Oh come on” he argued. Anthony shook his head.

“Them other bitches did it, man, they crazy; they always doing crap like that” he explained. 

“Your fingerprints were all over the baseball bat” Johnny deadpanned before he chuckled.

“We got a lot of goodies on you. You know what we found in your barbecue? 67 G’s in cash! You got 13 G’s of chips in there…I mean, there goes the defense fund. We also found Dede Chase’s driver’s license. How’d that get in there?” he asked, crossing his arms. Anthony shrugged.

“Dede partied with my girls for a couple of days” he replied. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah?” he asked. Anthony nodded.

“Asked me to hold onto her valuables while she went clubbing” he explained. Johnny hummed.

“Did she also ask you to beat her, rape her, and slit her throat?” he asked, making Anthony’s eyes widen.

“Hey, hey, hey, woah. I was at Tall K’s Playa Con the night she got killed, aight? Lot of people saw me” he snapped. Johnny chuffed.

“Saw you wearing an earring belonging to Madeline Briggs” he stated as he showed Anthony a photo of Madeline wearing the earrings as well as a photo of him wearing the same pair.

“She one of your girls?” he asked. Anthony shook his head.

“Nah. I think…I think Ma brought her by. Ma was always bringing in strays. They crash for a couple days, then they move on, they get stuff” he explained. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“You know where she is?” he asked. Anthony shook his head again. Johnny sighed before he pulled the photo of the bloody mattress out of his file and threw it down in front of Anthony.

“Okay, let me tell you something. If that is her blood in your place, you’re in such deep trouble—” he started as he pointed to the photo, making Anthony turn his head away.

“Man, get me a lawyer” he ordered. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the hospital, in Diane’s room, Jaehyun, Jaemin, and Jeno were standing next to her bed.

“Diane” Jaehyun called out softly, making the poor woman look over at him.

“Ma’am, we need your help” he explained softly. Diane shook her head.

“No. I don’t want more trouble” she croaked. 

“We want to put Anthony Samuels away so he can’t hurt you or anybody else ever again” Jeno stated.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have called from jail. Now I have to earn back my hair” Diane explained, her lips quivering as she desperately tried not to cry.

“How am I gonna earn like this?” she asked. Jaemin shook his head.

“Diane, you don’t have to. We’re gonna help you get out of the game” he soothed, making her look over at him.

“You can go back to school; you can get a straight job” he explained.

“Will you help Anthony too?” Diane asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Diane, Anthony’s a sociopath. We believe he murdered Dede Chase” he explained. Diane shook her head.

“He’d never do anything like that. You don’t know him!” she exclaimed. Jeno let out a soft groan.

“Diane! He almost killed you!” he exclaimed. 

“Anthony risked his life for me. That Russian could have put him in a hole in a desert. That Russian has a lot of holes for people who cross him and Anthony didn’t care; he fought for me!” Diane exclaimed. Jeno frowned.

“Okay, who’s the Russian?” he asked. Diane looked at him with wide eyes before she looked away. Jaemin sighed.

“Before you joined Anthony’s family, did you work for somebody else?” he asked. 

“No. I was solo. I was a renegade” Diane murmured before she turned on her side. 

“Please go” she begged. Jaehyun wanted to say something else when he noticed the heart with a diamond on her back.

“Do you mind if I see your tattoo?” he asked, reaching out to touch when Diane whirled on him.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me, get away!” she screamed. 

“Nurse!” Jaemin called out, causing a nurse to come running into the room as he and Jeno held Diane down, allowing the nurse to put more sedative into Diane’s IV. 

“Get away from me! I don’t want you in here! Get out of here!” Diane screamed as she glared at Jaehyun, Jaemin, and Jeno.

“You’re messing everything up” she whimpered as she laid back down, slowly starting to calm down.

“Anthony…he loves me” she murmured before the sedative kicked in and she slipped into unconsciousness. Jaehyun looked at her before he looked over at Jaemin and Jeno.

“Roll her over for me, please” he instructed. Jaemin and Jeno nodded, walking over to his side of the bed and rolled Diane over so that Jaehyun could look at the tattoo on Diane’s neck.

“This tattoo…its larger than the ones on Anthony’s other girls” he murmured. Jaemin raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? What’s that tell you, hyung?” he asked. Jaehyun huffed.

“Usually, when a girl leaves her pimp, the new Daddy gets rid of the old ones brand. Either with a hot iron, battery acid, a cheese grater” he explained. Jeno frowned.

“Hyung, how do you know about this?” he asked. Jaehyun smirked.

“Xuswiunia had prostitutes too, Jeno. Remember, I’ve been around longer than you have. I’ve seen more” he teased. Jeno hummed as Jaemin tilted his head at Diane’s back.

“There’s no sign of any of those things on her” he stated as Jaehyun grabbed three pairs of UV protective goggles, handing two of them to Jeno and Jaemin.

“Right. Which leads me to believe that Anthony just covered it up” he stated as he slipped on his glasses. Jeno nodded.

“Since tattoo inks vary among artists, they should fluoresce differently under different wavelengths of light” he declared, he and Jaemin also slipping on their glasses as Jaehyun picked up a UV lamp and shone it on Diane’s neck, adjusting the wavelengths on the lamp to a green fluorescent light, which revealed a butterfly tattoo underneath the heart and diamond tattoo.

“Holy shit, hyung” Jaemin breathed as he and Jeno turned Diane back onto her back. Jaehyun sighed as he took off his glasses and put down the lamp.

“You know…pimps treat these girls like livestock. Back in the Old West, if another rancher stole a man’s cattle and tried to rebrand them, he’d start a range war” Jeno murmured. Jaehyun looked over at him and smirked.

“When did you get so smart?” he cooed, reaching out to pinch Jeno’s cheeks. Jaemin pouted and Jaehyun looked over at him, chuckling.

“You’re smart too, Nana” he praised, making both young men smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	96. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 6

In the crime lab, Chenle was looking at the crime scene photo of the bloody bed and sighed.

“The samples that you took from these satellite stains came from one contributor” he stated as he looked over at Kun, who was standing next to him.

“Madeline Briggs” Kun declared. Chenle nodded.

“Yeah. It’s exactly what you thought. But then this large stain right here was actually from two contributors, so I subtracted out Madeline’s profile from the mix and I got this” he stated, pointing to his computer. Kun looked at it and frowned.

“13 alleles in common? That’s a parent-child relationship. Johnny and his team discovered that Madeline was pregnant…” he murmured. Chenle blinked in shock.

“The blood is from a miscarriage?” he whispered. Kun nodded. 

“Anthony Samuels buys Madeline from the Yadrioria-Lecleusia traffickers. According to VICE, the going price is $10K. That’s a serious investment. Then he discovers she’s pregnant. Realizes she’s not gonna make him a lot of money in that conditions, so he feels ripped off. And then he takes it out on her” he explained. Chenle let out a raggedy breath before he looked at him.

“Do you think she could have survived?” he croaked.

“The bloodstain on the mattress is consistent with about a pint of blood. The covers were replaced. There’s no way to know how much blood was really there; there’s no way to tell” Kun replied softly. Chenle blinked before he sniffled.

“Can I—” he started when Kun pulled him in for a hug.

“Yeah, you can” Kun whispered, hugging Chenle tightly as he buried his face into Kun’s shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~

“So we matched the butterfly tattoo to about a dozen prostitutes in town, all of whom receive regular visits from that guy” Jaehyun stated as he and Taeyong walked through the crime lab.

“Dmitri Sadesky, Diane’s scary Russian” Taeyong murmured as he looked at the printed ID card. 

“And VICE thinks he’s taking a piece of their action” Jaehyun explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“You know where to find him?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Unfortunately, no” he replied, just as Yangyang walked over to them.

“But I do. And you won’t believe where” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Do we not all harbor covert passion that society tells us is inappropriate?” Dmitri asked as he stood before a bunch of college students, one of his girls smiling at his question. He then smiled and pointed at her.

“See? Shanna gets it” he declared, making some of her friends giggle at her.

“It’s facile to dismiss a middle-age literature professor as a deviant, for uh, deflowering—” Dmitri continued when he felt like someone was watching him, so he turned to see Taeyong and Jaehyun standing behind him. He paused and blinked before he turned back to his class.

“—a twelve year old nymphette. I mean, is he really so different from the rest of us?” he asked. Taeyong then looked at the class.

“Are you sure you want to learn about Nabokov from a pimp, miss?” he asked. 

“More unsupported accusations from ZPD VICE. Like a bad TV show” Dmitri declared. Taeyong shook his head.

“Actually, we’re YPD. And I don’t know anything about that” he sneered as Jaehyun looked at the class.

“Class dismissed” he growled. Everyone got up to leave as Dimtri turned to face them.

“So professor, you recognize these girls?” Taeyong asked, holding up pictures of Diane and Dede. Dmitri shrugged his shoulders.

“Diane Jasper, used to sport your brand until she was rustled by Anthony Samuels” Jaehyun continued. Dmitri chuckled.

“I think you have me confused with someone else” he stated. Taeyong waved the picture away before crossing his arms.

“So how’s it work in the pimp world? To discourage poaching, if he takes one of your girls, you take one of his?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I’m sure I don’t know. But I wonder, what has become of loyalty? An organization invests time and money training an employee, and the moment they get a better offer, they bolt. How are we ever going to dig our way out of this recession with work ethics like this, huh?” Dmitri murmured. Jaehyun gave him a look.

“That’s very poetic, but that’s not an answer” he stated. Dmitri said nothing before he looked over Taeyong’s shoulder to see Yangyang standing next to his car.

“Hey! That’s my car. What are you doing with my car?” he demanded before he rushed down the hill towards Yangyang. 

“That’s my car!” he exclaimed. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before they followed after Dmitri, following close behind just in case Dmitri tried to hurt Yangyang.

“Hey! That’s my car” Dmitri growled before he looked back at Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“I want to see your warrant” he ordered. Yangyang laughed.

“This car is parked in plain view in a public area, sir, we don’t need a warrant” he declared as Jaehyun and Taeyong walked over to them.

“That’s a nice car, Dmitri” Jaehyun stated as Yangyang hummed.

“You know, VICE told me that five years ago, you were handing out flyers outside the strip club. Now here you are, living like a king up to 10,000 square feet in Sunrise Mountain. That’s pretty good for an old soviet lit professor who came to this country with his hat in his hand. Wouldn’t you say so, hyungs?” he asked, looking at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“I embrace the entrepreneuring spirit that is the American dream. Perhaps you’ve heard of this” Dmitri growled. 

“Have you been doing any off-roading in the desert lately, Mr. Sadesky?” Yangyang asked as he knelt next to Dmitri’s front tires.

“Sometimes I drive up there to collect butterflies” Dmitri replied shakily. Taeyong scoffed.

“Yeah, and to put young girls into holes in the ground” he sneered as Yangyang took a Geiger counter and ran it underneath the suspension. 

“What is this, what are you doing?” Dmitri demanded.

“This? Geiger counter” Yangyang replied as he stood to his feet and moved to the front of the car.

“You know, like the one used in Chernobyl. Perhaps you’ve heard of this” Jaehyun stated, mocking Dmitri’s accent.

“Jaehyun” Taeyong scolded as Yangyang continued to run the Geiger counter over the car. Dmitri then turned to Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“Let me share something with you. Something I have learned about the women; inside, they’re all whores. They all love to hear the things that they want to believe. They are so beautiful, so fascinating, so special that they deserve the best of everything; the finest clothes, champagne, and jewels that money can buy. And you know how you get the whore to emerge? You tell her there’s an easy way to get all of this and watch her lick her lips and ask you house” he explained. 

“Hey hyung, these level are consistent with the residue on a dismembered leg you found in Yadrioria” Yangyang called out, making Taeyong smirk as he looked over at Dmitri.

“Who was sporting your butterfly tattoo” he added. 

“We’re going to impound your vehicle, Mr. Sadesky” Yangyang declared. Jaehyun chuckled darkly.

“Don’t worry, we’ll give you a ride” he assured, eyes flashing white.

~*~*~*~*~

In the forensic garage, Jeno was beginning to work on the car when Kun walked in.

“Jeno” he called out.

“Yeah hyung?” Jeno replied. Kun sighed.

“Taeyong and Jaehyun are holding Dmitri but he already lawyered up” he stated. Jeno sighed. 

“Well fuck, alright. Looks like we just have to find something that connects him to Dede Chase” he declared. 

“Or Madeline Briggs” Kun reminded. 

“Or both” Jeno declared. Kun nodded before he and Jeno went to work, Jeno slipping into the front seat to look at Dmitri’s recent destinations while Kun look at the body and tired of the car. After Jeno found some destinations, he slipped out of the car and walked over to his computer to type them in while Kun continued to run his UV light over the trunk, the seats, the seatbelts, everything. As he was looking, Kun noticed a single blood drop on the plastic side bar floor liner, so he removed the bar to find a single drop of blood underneath the liner.

~*~*~*~*~

In the computer lab, Jaemin was looking at Dmitri’s license as well as the footage from the hotel bar, trying to see if he could find Dmitri. He continued to run through the footage when he noticed a purple bag like the one that he found in Anthony Samuel’s apartment. He then made the image clearer, noticing the woman who had the bag. He hummed before he took the bag out of evidence and sprayed it with luminol before placing it in a box with a UV light, turning the UV light on to see streaks of blood on the bag.

“Well…shit” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	97. Case 14: The Lost Girls - Part 7

At the hospital, Jaemin and Ten were standing before Diane as she sat in a chair.

“We found the purse in Anthony’s house along with your clothes. You had it at the Tangiers the night Dede Chase was killed. And security footage confirms that you were following her” Jaemin stated, showing Diane the security footage photo of her. 

“If the DNA on that blood comes back as Dede’s, you’re all wrapped up in murder one. So, if Anthony Samuels forced you to participate in this murder in any way, now is the time to tell us” Ten continued, crossing his arms. Diane shook her head.

“I knew I should have dumped that purse” she whimpered before sniffled.

“I just…I just couldn’t. It was the first thing that Anthony gave me when we were dating” she explained. Jaemin raised an eyebrow.

“Dating?” he repeated. Diane nodded.

“Yeah, he courted me when I was working for Dmitri. Said that he loved me; he’d write me these little poems. Said he was gonna marry me” she explained. Ten nodded slowly.

“So that’s why you left Dmitri” he deduced. Diane nodded.

“He said that the other wifeys would be working for “us” and he was saving up some so me and him could retire in Hawaria and raise a family. That all changed the night we picked up Dede” she spat. 

“Anthony needed another wifey to up the cash flow” she explained.

~*~*~*~*~

_On the night that Dede got left by McDowell and was left to walk the streets, Anthony and Diane pulled up._

_“Hi sweetie. You look lost. Do you want a ride?” Diane called out from the passenger side. Dede looked at them nervously and Diane just smiled._

_“It’s okay” she assured. Dede nodded._

_“Okay, thanks” she croaked as she got into the back of Anthony’s car._

_“I’m staying at the 4 Kings, I really appreciate this” she continued._

~*~*~*~*~

“Took a couple of days, but he wore her down” Diane growled as Jaemin scooted closer to Ten, feeling a little uncomfortable.

~*~*~*~*~

_In Anthony’s mom’s house, Anthony punched Diane a couple of times before she fell on the couch, Diane gripping her hair._

_“Take it like a hoe” she snarled before she let go of her hair and stepped back. A little while later, after sex, Anthony sat down on the couch next to a tired Dede._

_“You, are one dynamite piece of ass. Matta’fact I’m about to make you my bottom bitch. These other wifeys…they gone work for us. Couple years, we’ll retire to Hawaria; you’ll love it” he stated. Dede huffed._

_“Sounds great to me, Daddy” she panted. Meanwhile, on the side, Diane was listening, tears coming to her eyes when she realized that the same thing Anthony told her, he just told to Dede._

~*~*~*~*~

“He thought he broke her. That girl was cagey, she pretended to dig it and Anthony…Anthony fell for it” Diane growled. Ten sighed.

“Tell me what happened at the Tangiers” he instructed. Diane looked at him as Jaemin sighed as well.

“That was the first night that she was to earn, wasn’t it? You were there to turn her out?” he asked. Diane nodded.

“Yeah. And when her trick came down alone five minutes after they went up, I _knew_ she was gonna bolt” she hissed. 

~*~*~*~*~

_In the garden, Dede was running through the garden when she was suddenly grabbed by Diane and pulled out of the camera’s line of sight._

_“Where do you think you’re going?” Diane demanded. Dede wrenched her arm away._

_“Where do you think?” she snapped. Diane shook her head._

_“You can’t leave Anthony” she argued._

_“Come with me” Dede begged. Diane looked at her with wide eyes before she shook her head._

_“I…I can’t” she replied. Dede looked at her in shock._

_“You want to be with him? Are you insane? What the hell are you thinking?!” she exclaimed. Diane growled before she pulled out a straight razor and attacked Dede, slicing her in the throat, watching as she stumbled back out from the shadows, clutching at her neck before she collapsed to the ground and bled out._

~*~*~*~*~

“Anthony told me he loved me. Nobody had ever said that to me before” Diane explained as she looked at Ten and Jaemin, both men looking back at her with sympathy in their eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, out in the desert, Kun, Johnny, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Jeno, Chenle, Yangyang, and a large group of CSIs were canvasing the desert, the GPS location on a device in Kun’s hand.

“Seems like an odd place for butterflies” Taeyong grumbled. Jeno huffed.

“Yeah, but a great place to hide a body” he replied, just as the device in Kun’s hand beeped.

“Son of a fuck” he swore, making Johnny look over at him.

“What is it?” he asked. Kun looked back at him.

“We have DNA from the blood we found in the Russian’s SUV; it is Madeline’s” he declared. The CSIs continued to walk around the salt flat until the meter Jeno was holding in his hand continuously kept beeping, making him, Kun, Johnny, Jaehyun, Taeyong, Chenle, and Yangyang look at the area that Jeno’s meter was pointed to before Kun knelt down and began to brush away the dirt until they came upon a human face. 

“Oh fuck” Kun whimpered.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, a tent was brought to the crime scene to shield Kun as he looked at the body, which Jeno and Chenle were nice enough to unearth for him. Apparently, after finding that body, three other bodies were found as well.

~*~*~*~*~

“We found four mummified DPs in a location that was in the GPS memory of your vehicle. On one of the bodies, we found a cigarette burn on her left palm. Wasn’t enough for you to kill ‘em, you had to torture them too, right? But the desert preserves DNA Dmitri” Kun snarled as he stood before Dmitri and his lawyer.

“My client has information the DA and the FBI would be very interested in and he is very willing to cooperate” Dmitri’s lawyer stated.

**“If he wants to avoid the death penalty, then your client better do that”** Kun spat, eyes glowing blue.

**“Actually, you can start by telling me what you did with Madeline Briggs, Dmitri”** he continued as he began to pace around the interrogation room like a caged tiger, ready to go in for the kill.

 **“All these bodies we found in the ground have been there for a long time. Too long to be Madeline”** he snapped. Dmitri looked up at him and smirked.

“This girl meant something to you” he teased. 

“Dmitri—” his lawyer started when he held up a hand.

“I can see that. Fine. As a token of my good faith, I’ll tell you what I did with her” he declared.

**“I’m listening”** Kun growled. Dmitri shrugged.

“Nothing” he stated. Kun’s glowing eyes widened.

**“Her blood was in your car! How do you explain that?!”** he hissed. Dmitri chuckled.

“She was a peace offering from Anthony. In exchange for stealing Diane from me. I accepted this but, no need to save face. I could see he had destroyed her commercial value. She knew nothing of me or my operation, so easiest thing to do was let her go” he explained before he smirked and looked at Kun.

“So! I’m not such a hard-hearted guy, eh?” he teased before he laughed. Kun glared at him before he turned and stormed out of the interrogation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	98. Case 14: The Lost Girls - CASE CLOSED

In the conference room, Chenle was opening a box, Yangyang, Jeno, and Jaemin were watching when Jisung walked in.

“What are we opening?” he asked, still dressed in scrubs. 

“Oh, Johnny hyung, Jaehyun hyung and Taeyong hyung left some gifts for us from Yadrioria and Lecleusia” Chenle explained. Jisung’s eyes widened.

“Jaehyun hyung and Taeyong hyung were here and I didn’t even get to see them?” he exclaimed when a voice chuckled from the shadows.

“You really thought we would leave without seeing you, Sungie?” a voice teased, making Jisung turn to see Jaehyun, Taeyong, Ten, and Johnny step out from the shadows. Jisung let out a gasp.

“Hyung!” he exclaimed, rushing over to give Jaehyun a big hug first.

“Hey Jisung” Jaehyun greeted, giving the young man a squeeze in return before Jisung pulled away to hug Taeyong.

“Hi Sungie” Taeyong cooed, petting his hair. Jisung then pulled away as he looked at Johnny and Ten.

“Hi. Dr. Park Jisung, Medical Examiner” he greeted. Johnny smiled.

“Hi. Lieutenant Johnny Seo and my partner, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul” he greeted, shaking Jisung’s hand. Jisung then shook Ten’s hand, Ten smiling at him.

“Call me Ten” he insisted before he reached out and gently pinched Jisung’s cheek.

“You’re so young for a medical examiner” he cooed. Jisung blushed.

“I know, right? But he’s one of the best” Jaehyun praised, just as Chenle popped on a pair of wacky sunglasses.

“Hey hyung, what do you think?” he called out, making Johnny, Ten, Taeyong, and Jaehyun turn to see him in the funny glasses.

“They suit you, kid” Johnny stated with a laugh, the others laughing at him as well. Just then, Kun stepped into the lab, making Johnny and Taeyong look over at him.

“Oh, Kun. Taeil called a little while ago and said that my team arrested three of the top crime syndicates in Yadrioria with the information Dmitri gave us” Taeyong stated.

“And Lucas said that they nailed two more in Lecleusia” Johnny added. Kun sighed.

“That’s great, but we didn’t do good enough. When I talked to Dmitri in interrogation, he said he let her go. Now if he really let her go, then why didn’t she go home?” he demanded. Jaehyun sighed.

“Well a lot of girls that try to get out of that life come out feeling so degraded and ashamed they feel like sometimes, nobody will ever want them again” he explained. Kun was quiet before he nodded.

“Yeah…” he murmured before he turned on his heels and walked out of the conference room.

“Kun-ge? Where are you going?” Chenle called out, taking off the glasses.

“I’ll go check on him” Taeyong murmured before he quickly headed out of the conference room and towards Kun’s lab, stepping inside to watch Kun take a phone out of an evidence bag and plugged it into his computer. 

“Kun? What are you doing?” he asked gently, walking over to his friend. Kun jumped before he looked over at him and smiled weakly.

“Just trying something, hyung” he murmured as he highlighted all the contacts in the phone and clicked “text all”, a text box soon popping up. He then took a deep breath before he began typing.

_This is for Madeline Briggs. You don’t know me, but I know your mom. And she wants you to know this…_

“Which is what, exactly?” Taeyong asked. Kun smirked.

“Using the “ho-vine”. The phones we recovered in Anthony’s house all had the same numbers programmed into them. He must have given one of them to each of his girls” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“You think Madeline still has hers” he mused. Kun nodded.

“It’s good to hope for things, right?” he whispered. Taeyong smiled and nodded.

“Of course it is” he replied softly. Kun nodded before he went back to typing.

_She still loves you, no matter what happened. She just wants her Maddy back._

He then hit “send” before looking over at Taeyong.

“You think…she got it?” he asked. Taeyong smiled.

“One can only hope, right?” he replied. Kun chuckled before he smiled.

“Thanks for coming with me, hyung. You, Jaehyun, Johnny and Ten. I really appreciate it” he murmured. Taeyong nodded.

“Of course. Let me know if you find her okay?” he instructed, reaching out to give Kun’s arm a squeeze. Kun nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, out on the strip, a lot of girls who “belonged” to Anthony saw the message, many of them deleting or ignoring it, but one girl looked at the message and pressed it to her chest, letting out a soft sob.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, after Kun dropped Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, and Taeyong off at the airport, he drove back to the crime lab to pick up some things. After he grabbed his stuff and said goodbye to the others, he headed back out to his car to head home when a young girl dressed in a very short tropical cocktail dress appeared out of the shadows. Kun looked at her in shock before his face softened.

“Madeline” he breathed. Madeline sniffed.

“Dr. Qian?” she whimpered. Kun nodded. 

“Yes” he replied. Madeline shook her head.

“How can I go back after everything that’s happened?” she sobbed. Kun smiled softly as he held out his hand.

“All you have to do is walk through the door” he soothed. Madeline slowly walked towards him, her steps slow and hesitant, before she jogged towards him and threw her arms around him. Kun wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, gently stroking her head.

“It’s okay sweetheart. It’s over now. You’re safe” he soothed. Madeline let out another sob and buried her face deeper into his shoulder as he continued to stroke her hair.

“You’re safe now. You’re safe” he assured.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	99. Case 15: Sudden Death - Part 1

It was a bright day in Yadrioria as a young man in a blue sweater, khaki pants, and brown shoes running down the downtown streets of Yadrioria, Mark and Donghyuck hot on his tail.

“Stop! Yadrioria Police, stop!” Donghyuck shouted as he and Mark raced after the young man. 

“Stop!” Mark screamed, but the man kept running. Mark and Donghyuck continued to chase the young man, both men grateful that they were supernatural beings.

“Stop!” Donghyuck shouted.

“Suspect is heading east on Crescent!” Mark exclaimed into a walkie-talkie as he and Donghyuck continued to run down the street.

“This fucker is fast!” Donghyuck panted as they continued to chase after the young man.

~*~*~*~*~

_A few hours earlier the previous evening, the young man in the blue sweater was sitting down in a booth at a very popular nightclub, looking around at all the people around him. As he was people watching, he noticed a pretty blonde bottle girl placing some drinks down at a nearby table. He smiled at her and she smiled back, just as an older man in a suit with a couple of young girls walked over to the booth and sat down._

_“Girls, have you met Brady Jenson? College football star, future pro-legend?” the man asked._

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, the young man, Brady, was still running through downtown Yadrioria, jumping over railings just to get away from Mark and Donghyuck.

“STOP!” Donghyuck screamed as he and Mark raced after him.

~*~*~*~*~

_“You decided which team you’ll go with?” one of the girl’s asked. Brady shook his head._

_“It doesn’t really work like that” he explained. The girl frowned._

_“You don’t get to choose which team you work for?” she asked. The pretty blonde bottle girl walked over to their table and smiled._

_“He gets the pick of the litter” she explained. Brady looked up at her, eyes wide, and she smiled._

~*~*~*~*~

“STOP!” Donghyuck shouted as he and Mark continued to chase Brady down the street of downtown Yadrioria.

“STOP!” Mark cried this time, but Brady still wouldn’t stop. As they continued down the street, Mark summoned his walkie-talkie again.

“Suspect is heading north on 719 Medium, we need backup! We need backup now!” he shouted before he waved away the walkie and kept running.

~*~*~*~*~

_At the club, the pretty blonde handed Brady the drinks menu._

_“What’ll it be?” she asked. Brady’s eyes widened as he looked at the menu._

_“Don’t worry about it, Champ. Your agent’s taken care of it” the blonde assured, making the man in the suit look over at Brady._

_“He’s not my agent” Brady stated._

_“Yet! But I will be, buddy. Because I’m the best. And I only sign the best” the man stated. Brady let out a weak laugh._

_“Okay, okay. I get it” he murmured._

~*~*~*~*~

“POLICE, STOP!” Mark screamed as he and Donghyuck continued to run after Brady.

~*~*~*~*~

_“We’ll have another vodka” the agent stated. The bottle girl raised an eyebrow._

_“No champagne to celebrate?” she asked._

_“It’s your call, buddy. Whatever you want” the agent stated._

_“Well, it’s a little early to celebrate don’t you think? I mean, the drafts not till this weekend” Brady reminded. The agent smiled._

_“I’m already positioning you. Top tier team and endorsements from here to Chaegna!” he exclaimed. Brady sighed._

_“I told you, endorsements are not my focus” he reminded before he looked at the bottle girl._

_“No thanks” he thanked. The bottle girl nodded and walked away as another girl held out her arm._

_“Can I get your autograph?” she asked. Brady nodded, but his eyes kept drifting to the bottle girl, who looked back and smiled at him._

~*~*~*~*~

“STOP, NOW!” Donghyuck screamed as he and Mark ran after Brady, the three men running through downtown.

“POLICE, STOP!” Mark shouted.

“YADRIORIA POLICE, STOP!” Donghyuck cried as he and Mark chased Brady, the three men running through the street and even in front of cars. No matter how fast they were, and Mark and Donghyuck were fast thanks to their supernatural abilities, Brady was somehow ahead of them. They then watched as Brady jumped up and grabbed onto a staircase railing and pulled himself up, high and away from them.

“FUCK!” Mark shouted before he and Donghyuck decided to take the long way around to try and catch him. Brady, meanwhile, ran up the stairs and into the open air mall, Mark and Donghyuck catching up with him.

“YPD, move out of the way! Move out of the way! Move, move!” Donghyuck shouted as he and Mark raced after Brady.

“I got him, I got him!” Mark shouted as he pushed ahead of Donghyuck, right on Brady’s tail.

“Stop man, you got nowhere to run!” Donghyuck shouted, but Brady just continued to run, heading straight for a construction site. 

“I got him!” Mark declared. Brady, however, at the last second decided to jump up onto the rails of the bridge between the mall and the parking structure and jump, landing on the stairway nearby. Mark then made to jump after him, Donghyuck’s eyes widening in horror.

“Mark, no!” he screamed, just as Mark tried to jump over the edge, only to slip and nearly fall into the water below. Thankfully Mark grabbed onto the railing as Donghyuck came running over, grabbing his wrist to keep him from falling. Meanwhile, Brady was looking back at them with big wide eyes before he ran down the stairs, Mark still dangling over the side, Donghyuck’s grasp tight on his wrist. Mark then looked up at Donghyuck, who was glaring down at him.

“You’re a whole dumbass” he scolded. Mark chuckled.

“I almost made it!” he exclaimed as Donghyuck began to help him back up to safety.

~*~*~*~*~

Brady continued to run down the stairs, only to be stopped by Jaehyun and Taeyong, both men pointing their guns at him.

“HAECHAN!” Taeyong called out.

“I got him, hyung!” Donghyuck called back as he pulled Mark to safety before wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in his shoulder. Mark then wrapped his arms around Donghyuck and pressed a kiss to his hair, whispering soft apologies. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded before they looked at Brady, Jaehyun smirking.

“You can’t outrun this, son” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	100. Case 15: Sudden Death - Part 2

After being arrested by Taeyong and Jaehyun, Jaehyun and Donghyuck drove back towards the crime lab, Brady in the back seat. As they neared the crime lab, Brady looked out the window to see new reporters and news teams all lined up outside, making his eyes widen.

“Hey, stop the car man!” he exclaimed. Donghyuck turned and glared at him.

“You are in no position to be giving orders, Brady” he growled. Brady shook his head.

“Look, I didn’t do this. Please, man, you can’t let the media see me, come on” he begged. Jaehyun chuckled darkly as he stopped the car just far enough away from the crime lab that they couldn’t see them.

“Oh, they’re gonna have a banner day with this; choir boy quarterback turns killer? It almost writes itself” he mused. Brady growled.

“I didn’t kill her, come on!” he exclaimed.

 **“HEY! Calm the fuck down”** Donghyuck roared, turning to glare at him. He was still angry at Brady for making him and Mark basically chase him all over creation as well as almost getting Mark killed when he decided to jump to the stairway and Mark decided to follow and slipped, nearly falling to his death. Anything that involved Mark getting hurt or almost getting hurt made Donghyuck _really_ angry.

“You ran, alright? Guilty people run” he continued. Brady groaned.

“Listen, Kristin is my bottle girl” he explained. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“So what, you take her out to the cabana; have your way with her?” he asked. Brady shook his head.

“No, she’s not that type of…look, it was her idea to go out to the cabana to talk. She said she just wanted to get away from the crowd” he explained.

~*~*~*~*~

_“I’m sorry, it’s just...I hate this job. You seem like a really nice guy. I just…really need to quit” the bottle girl, Kristin, explained with tears in her eyes. Brady smiled sympathetically._

_“Look, it’s alright. We can go back inside?” he suggested. Kristin just looked at him before she surged forward and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck as they both started passionately kissing each other._

~*~*~*~*~

Jaehyun hummed.

“So it got hot, got a little rough, maybe it was an accident?” he suggested. Brady shook his head.

“No! When I woke up, she was in the pool!” he exclaimed. Jaehyun frowned before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“I’m done listening to this kid” he grumbled.

“Do you guys remember those lacrosse players from Duke? The media ruined their lives and you’re about to do the exact same thing to me! Please, don’t do this!” Brady begged. Donghyuck looked back at him and shook his head.

“No, Brady. You did this” he stated softly before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“Let’s go, hyung” he instructed. Jaehyun nodded and started the car, pulling up to crime lab. The minute they pulled up, the cameras and reporter surged on the car, cameras snapping photos while reporters began asking questions.

~*~*~*~*~

At the scene, Sicheng and Yuta walked over to Taeil, who had just had the transporters pull the body out of the water. 

“Hey hyung” Sicheng greeted. Taeil looked up at him and smiled.

“Hi Sicheng” he replied as Yuta looked over at the cabanas and huffed.

“Well, that’s classy. Our football star tossed the vic in the pool right next to their love den from last night” he murmured as Taeil looked up at him.

“Does she have a name?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah, Kristin Banks. She’s one of the bottle girls here” he explained. Taeil hummed as he gently turned Kristin’s head from side to side.

“Bottle girl? Hmm…that’s a dangerous job in South Beach, no offense” he murmured. Yuta chuckled.

“I heard bottle girls are supposed to make you feel like a king when the party’s popping off” he mused. Sicheng narrowed his eyes at him while Taeil sighed.

“They’re also the first ones to blame when you look at your bill the next day” he reminded. 

“No truer words” Yuta agreed before he turned and walked off, leaving Sicheng alone with Taeil.

“So, what do you think, hyung? Think she actually drowned?” he asked, kneeling next to Taeil. Taeil said nothing before he gently pressed on Kristin’s chest, watching as bubbles foamed at her mouth.

“There’s fluid in her lungs” he declared. Sicheng hummed.

“Well, it could have been an accident” he mused. Taeil tsked.

“Not with this” he stated as he lifted up Kristin’s left arm to show Sicheng the deep purple blue skin. Sicheng hissed.

“She has double lividity” he murmured. Taeil nodded.

“Mhm. She died on her back, then moved to her front. We’re in Hanksville. Population one” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Yuta walked over to the cabana where Brady and Kristin were supposedly supposed to have spent the evening and began taking pictures of the scene from every angle. After he took pictures, he heard a bubbling sound, so he looked around before he walked over to the edge of the pool and noticed the drainage system. He frowned and walked over to it, placing his camera around him before he knelt down and reached inside, first pulling out a turquoise bikini top, then a glass bottle, and then finally, a cellphone.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” he murmured before he pushed himself to his feet.

“Winko! Taeil! I got a cellphone” he called out, making Taeil and Sicheng look over at him.

“I think it might be the vics” he stated before he tried to press the power button, only to find that it wouldn’t turn on.

“Damn it, it’s waterlogged. Could take hours to dry out” he grumbled. Sicheng smirked.

“Maybe not. Anyone know where the men’s room is?” he asked. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“What are you thinking, baby?” he asked. Sicheng smiled.

“Trust me” he instructed. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, in the men’s room, Sicheng held the phone underneath the hand dryer, Yuta standing nearby.

“Wouldn’t it just be better to put the phone in rice?” Yuta asked. Sicheng smirked.

“Yuta, we don’t have time for that” he stated, just as the phone turned on. Yuta blinked in shock before he chuckled and shook his head.

“Baby, forget that I ever doubted you” he declared. Sicheng smiled slightly.

“Buy me lunch and I’ll forget you even said anything” he replied. Yuta smiled before he reached out and gently pinched Sicheng’s side.

“Sneaky little thing” he teased. Sicheng chuckled before he looked at the phone in his hand, swiping it open to find that it had no password.

_‘Trusting girl’_ he thought to himself as he looked at the phone.

“This is definitely Kristin’s phone” he declared. Yuta crossed his arms.

“Who’s the last contact?” he asked. Sicheng went to Kristin’s “text” app but found that there were no messages.

“Okay, well, that’s weird” he murmured. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Well, she doesn’t have any text messages” he stated. Yuta frowned.

“Yeah, that is weird. Try her phone” he stated. Sicheng nodded and clicked the “phone” app, heading to her “recent calls”.

“Her last phone call was to a “Sarah Walker” for two minutes at 1:26 am” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy wow, we're already at 100 chapters! Thank you all so much for reading and leaving kudos and comments! Please don't hesitate to continue to leave them, along with bookmarking and subscribing!


	101. Case 15: Sudden Death - Part 3

“I shouldn’t have let her go with Brady” Sarah grumbled as she and Taeyong walked through the club.

“I understand you spoke to Kristin last night at 1:26 am” Taeyong stated. Sarah nodded and they paused, Taeyong looked at her with soft eyes.

“Yeah, she wanted me to cover her tables. She was stepping off the floor” she explained before she bit her lip.

“Um, look, I really have to go. I have to pick up my son at school” she explained. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“How old is he?” he asked. Sarah smiled.

“He’s six” she explained. Taeyong smiled and nodded.

“What’s his name?” he inquired.

“Lucas” Sarah replied. Taeyong nodded before he gave Sarah a gentle look; her resolve immediately crumbling.

“Kristin wanted me to sign her out so that she could spend more time with Brady” she admitted.

“Out at the cabana?” Taeyong asked. Sarah nodded. Taeyong hummed before he looked her in the eyes.

“Did you ever go out there, Sarah?” he inquired. 

“No, no. I’m really sorry, I wish I could be more help” Sarah apologized before her phone rang and she quickly pulled it out of her purse, looking at the screen. As she looked at the screen, Taeyong noticed large, red scratches on her arm.

“Sarah, how did you get those scrapes on your arm?” he asked gently, making Sarah look up from her phone. Sarah looked down at her arm before looking back at him.

“My son. He, he um…he really hates sunscreen. Look, I…I really have to go” she started when Taeyong nodded.

“Go. We’ll talk soon” he assured. Sarah nodded.

“Yeah, okay. Thank you” she thanked before she turned and quickly walked away, heading out to go pick up her son.

~*~*~*~*~

“What do you mean, she didn’t drown?” Donghyuck demanded as he and Mark followed Taeil into the morgue.

“In the pool. She didn’t drown in the pool; there wasn’t any chlorinated water in her lungs” Taeil explained. Mark frowned.

“So then what _is_ in her lungs?” he asked as he, Taeil, and Donghyuck walked over to the body.

“Alcohol. Her stomach was filled with it” Taeil declared. Mark hummed.

“So she shotgunned a bottle of alcohol?” he interpreted. Taeil shook his head.

“No, no. This was definitely forced onto her” he explained as he gently opened Kristin’s mouth and shone a pen light inside.

“Lower right crown of her second premolar has been chipped. It takes a lot of force to do that” he continued before he looked up at Mark and Donghyuck.

“The bottle was jammed into her mouth until she drowned. Then someone dropped her into the pool” he finished. Mark and Donghyuck were quiet before Mark looked over at Donghyuck.

“Do you, uh, wanna head over to the cabana see if we can’t find that crown?” he asked.

Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah. Why don’t you see what kind of alcohol kill her?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Will do” he stated before he looked over at Taeil.

“Thanks hyung” he thanked as he walked out of the morgue. Donghyuck smiled at Taeil as well.

“Yeah, thanks hyung. You’re awesome” he praised before he also headed out of the morgue.

“I know” Taeil called back, a smile on his face.

~*~*~*~*~

Upstairs, Mark dragged Brady into the interrogation lockup.

“Come on, get in here” he ordered as Sicheng followed in after him.

“Lift your arms” Mark ordered. Brady did as he was told as Sicheng ran a device over his body. Brady frowned.

“What are you guys looking for?” he asked.

“Alcohol runoff” Sicheng replied as he continued to run the device over Brady’s body.

“Runoff?” Brady repeated. Mark huffed.

“Yeah, runoff. It only stands to reason that you’d have some on you after you rammed the bottle down Kristin’s throat” he growled. Sicheng then turned Brady around so that he could continue scanning while Brady talked to Mark.

“I told you, I never bought alcohol” he snapped. Mark shrugged.

“You didn’t buy, you picked it off a table, doesn’t really matter to me. All that matters to me is what you did with it” he growled as Sicheng let out a heavy sigh.

“Whatever he did with it, he didn’t do it in these clothes” he grumbled. Brady then looked at Mark.

“I told you man. Can I go now?” he asked. Mark glared at him.

“No, you can’t go now. This isn’t a bed and breakfast; you don’t just come and go as you please. You’re hiding something. So you’re gonna sit in this cage and _rot_ until I figure it out what it is. Okay?” he snarled before he looked at Sicheng.

“Let’s go” he ordered, both men walking out of the cell, leaving Brady inside.

~*~*~*~*~

After scanning Brady, Sicheng went to go find Doyoung, which he found in Yuta’s computer lab.

“Hey hyung” he called out. Doyoung smiled but didn’t take his eyes off the computer screen.

“Hey Sicheng” he replied. Sicheng smiled slightly.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your bar tabs or anything, but can you help me out with this?” he asked, holding Kristin’s phone in his hand. Doyoung nodded and looked over at him.

“Sure” he replied, just as Sicheng looked up at the computer screen and at the bill on it.

“Does that really say $15,000 dollars in bar tab?!” he exclaimed. Doyoung chuckled.

“It’s a baseball player and his friends and you’re not going to believe it but that is actually cheap. The average bar tab last night was $21,000 for four bottles of liquor. Mark up is astounding” he replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“And so…hot girls pushing it is somehow more worthwhile?” he asked. Doyoung shrugged.

“I guess so” he replied before he looked at the phone in Sicheng’s hand.

“What have you got on Kristin’s phone?” he asked. Sicheng sighed.

“I’ve tried to dry out the battery twice, I’ve tried every shortcut I know and I cannot pull up texts on this stupid thing” he grumbled. Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“Why didn’t you just asked Yuta? You know he’d drop everything to help you” he stated. Sicheng huffed.

“I know, but I didn’t want to inconvenience him” he replied. Doyoung sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll help you, but if I hear Yuta bitching and demanding to know why you didn’t come to him, I’m putting you in the grave, got that?” he teased, pointing a playful finger at Sicheng. Sicheng smiled.

“I’ll go for his help next time, I promise” he assured. Doyoung nodded.

“Okay. Now give, I’ll run a SIM search” he declared. Sicheng smiled.

“Thanks hyung!” he thanked, handing Doyoung the phone before he turned and walked out of the lab. Doyoung nodded to himself before he took the phone and placed it on the table, the computer immediately pulling up all the text messages on Kristin’s phone. He searched through them until he found one that was particularly interesting.

_To: Amanda – Boss_

_I’m not doing this anymore. It’s not right_

“Well then…” he murmured with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~

“I didn’t force Kristin to do anything” Kristin’s boss, Amanda, snapped as Taeyong stood before her after telling her about the text message that Doyoung found.

“And yet you’re the owner of the club and therefore, her boss” he reminded. Amanda nodded.

“Yeah. I turned this place and some other bar into the hottest club in South Beach inside a year” she stated. Taeyong hummed as he pulled up the message Doyoung forward him from Kristin’s phone.

_“_ _I’m not doing this anymore. It’s not right”_ he read aloud before holding up his phone for Amanda to see. Amanda sighed heavily.

“Well maybe she didn’t want to talk her quarterback into buy the top shelf liquor. But that’s the job!” she exclaimed. Taeyong hummed.

“That’s the job in which you gain all the profits” he growled, looking into Amanda’s kohl lined eyes.

“The girls do just fine” Amanda snapped. Taeyong chuffed.

“I guess the same can’t be said about Kristin, can it?” he snarled. Amanda sighed heavily again.

“I’m sorry she’s dead” she stated before she looked at Taeyong.

“When are you gonna get out of here and give me back my club?” she asked. Taeyong snarled, eyes flashing red.

**“** **When I know how you figured into Kristin’s death”** he snarled before he turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	102. Case 15: Sudden Death - Part 4

“I’ve been testing the stomach contents Taeil hyung sent up here” Sicheng declared to Mark and Yuta as they stood before him in his lab.

“And?” Mark asked. 

“It’s champagne” Sicheng declared. Yuta hummed.

“So you think you can identify the exact champagne that was forced into her?” he asked.

Sicheng shook his head.

“By name? No. But by year? Yes. By using radioactive carbon isotopes in the champagne, I can determine a vintage” he declared. Mark frowned.

“How?” he asked. Sicheng grinned.

“Let me show you” he replied as he summoned a dry erase marker and began drawing on his workstation.

“Grapes capture tiny amounts of C14, a radioactive isotope that occurs natural from radioactive rays. The thing is, C14 ratios in the atmosphere have varied dramatically since the 1940s” he explained. Mark hummed.

“Let me guess; nuclear testing?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Well done. Atomic explosions between the 1940s and 1963 significantly increase C14 levels in the atmosphere, thus, wine made in these years will have much higher levels than before or after” he continued. Yuta frowned.

“So…what happened after 1963?” he asked. 

“Well our penchants for fossil fuels has since diluted that C14 in the atmosphere, giving us different benchmarks” Sicheng explained. 

“So, can you give us a vintage for the champagne that the killer used, hyung?” Mark asked. Sicheng nodded as he pulled a piece of paper out of his machine.

“Levels of C14 here are consistent with levels in wine in 1957” he declared. Mark frowned.

“1957…hyung, are you sure about that?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“That’s a rare bottle of champagne you’re looking for. I hope this helped narrow down your search” he stated. Mark was quiet before he crossed his arms.

“You know, the bottles at the Dorset are electronically tracked” he stated, looking over at Yuta, who nodded.

“Then all we needed was the date” he declared before he looked over at Sicheng and grinned.

“Baby, you’re brilliant. Thank you” he thanked before he and Mark walked out of Sicheng’s lab, a small blush on Sicheng’s face.

~*~*~*~*~

“Richard Ellison” Taeyong growled as he and Jaehyun walked over to a sleazy older man on a yacht. The man, Richard, looked over at them and frowned.

“Yeah, that’s right. Who the hell are you?” he demanded as Jaehyun growled at the other men.

“Beat it” he snarled. The men quickly got lost, leave Richard alone with Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“My name is Lieutenant Lee Taeyong and my husband, Dr. Jung Jaehyun” Taeyong introduced as Jaehyun placed his hands on his hips.

“Mr. Ellison, you were at the Dorset last night” he declared. Richard nodded.

“Yeah, I was entertaining clients. Had a good time” he replied.

“You ordered a very expensive champagne” Taeyong continued. Richard nodded as he stuck a cigar in his mouth.

“‘57 Pierre Jousset…good stuff” he mused. Taeyong growled.

“That champagne killed Kristin Banks” he snarled. Richard raised an eyebrow at him.

“I had a glass, so I killed her?” he asked. Jaehyun smirked.

“Witnesses stated you were wearing a suit at the Dorset. Where’s the jacket that you wore last night?” he asked. 

“It’s at a dry cleaners in Bal Harbor…French place. You’re welcome to check it out” Richard replied. Taeyong nodded.

“I will” he replied, making Richard roll his eyes.

“Hey! You can touch the drink and that’s it. You understand?” a voice snapped, making Taeyong look up to see Sarah waiting on a couple of guys.

“Take it easy, Sarah. Don’t make me look bad in front of my clients” Richard murmured before he and the other men walked away as Sarah made her way over to Taeyong.

“Sarah. What are you doing here?” Taeyong asked. Sarah said nothing as she warily looked over at Jaehyun. Taeyong noticed her look and smiled.

“It’s alright, Sarah. This is my husband, Dr. Jung Jaehyun” he introduced. Jaehyun smiled kindly and Sarah relaxed a little before she looked at Taeyong.

“Being a bottle-girl is a 24/7 job. Richard spent $25K on liquor last night. I have to keep my clients happy and I have to keep the boss happy. That’s how I keep working” she explained. Taeyong frowned.

“You don’t have to do this” he urged. Sarah nodded.

“I do. My son…that’s what gets me through this” she explained.

“Sarah, we can help you” Jaehyun murmured. Sarah looked at them before she shook her head.

“I can’t. I can’t implicate anyone. The guys who go to the Dorset are very powerful people” she explained.

“Sarah!” Richard called out, making Sarah, Taeyong, and Jaehyun look over at him.

“Sarah? Drinks?” he continued, making Sarah shudder and shake her head.

“I-I have to go” she murmured. Taeyong nodded.

“I understand. Sarah” he started, but Sarah had already walked away. He then looked up to see Richard smoking and smirking at him, causing him to let out a growl. Jaehyun looked over at him and gently grabbed his arm.

“Taeyong. He’s not worth it” he murmured before he gave his arm a gentle tug.

“Come on, let’s go. We’ll get Sarah in more trouble if we’re here” he continued. Taeyong sighed and let himself be dragged away by Jaehyun, glancing back every now and then at Sarah, once more letting out a growl.

“I know, babe. I know” Jaehyun soothed, gently stroking Taeyong’s arm with his thumb.

Taeyong then looked at him and smiled.

“You really do know me so well” he declared. Jaehyun smiled.

“Of course I do” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At Club Dorset, Sicheng ran the device that he used on Brady over the sheets and pillows in the cabana while Donghyuck searched underneath the covers for the shattered part of the tooth.

“You know, I didn’t find a bottle anywhere, and I’m not finding any champagne runoff” Sicheng declared. Donghyuck shook his head.

“I still can’t find the victim’s missing crown” he grumbled. Sicheng sighed.

“You know, if our quarterback did shove that bottle of champagne down her throat, I don’t think he did it here” he mused. 

“But witnesses confirmed seeing them leave together, the busboy saw them come in here and he didn’t see her again until she was in the pool” Donghyuck argued. Sicheng groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

“So where the hell did he do it?” he demanded. Donghyuck shook his head.

“It’s not where, it’s when” he declared before he motioned for Sicheng to follow him inside. Inside the club, Donghyuck walked over to one of the sections and knelt down.

“You know, when I worked scuba, we’d occasionally come across a condition called delayed drowning” he explained. Sicheng nodded.

“Right, when liquid seeps into the lungs and the victim doesn’t realize it” he replied.

Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, we’d pick people from the canal, they’d be walking, talking. Three hours later, they were dead; they drowned. The champagne goes into the stomach and a bodily reaction happens that sends it into the lungs. The champagne and the body’s own acid cause the lungs to swell, drowning her in her own fluid. The whole process can take several hours” he explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“So that’s why we didn’t find any champagne out in the cabana” he murmured. 

“No, it’s because Kristin was still in this club when it was forced down her throat” Donghyuck growled. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime lab, Yuta and Jaehyun were on phones, trying to get anything on Richard Ellison and the dry cleaners he went to.

“Yeah, I’ll hold” Yuta declared as Jaehyun sighed.

“Nothing on a Richard Ellison?” he asked. He listened before he sighed again.

“Yeah, that’s good advice but I’ve already tried the two dry cleaners in your area. How about under a different name?” he asked. He listened for a moment before he looked down at his notepad.

“Yeah, uh, witness said it was a gray, double-vented plaid” he replied, nodding as he listened to the other person on the line.

“Okay, if something comes up, give us a call” he instructed before he hung up the phone and let out a groan.

“Yeah, I’ll get that phone call when fucking pigs fly” he grumbled, making Yuta look over at him.

“Richard Ellison giving us the runaround?” he asked. Jaehyun looked back at him and nodded.

“Yeah” he grumbled. Yuta huffed.

“Time to get a warrant?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Tried that the first time I struck out with the dry cleaner. Judge said there’s no cause” he replied. Yuta’s eyes widened.

“No cause? The guy bought the bottle of champagne that killed Kristin Banks and he’s hiding his own fucking clothes! What else do we need?!” he exclaimed. Jaehyun chuckled mirthlessly.

“You’re preaching to the choir, Yuta. You find something that gets us on Ellison’s yacht, let me know” he instructed. Yuta nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Mark was working in an office when a pretty blonde woman walked in.

“CSI Lee, is it true you almost killed yourself during a foot chase through downtown this morning?” the woman asked, making Mark look over at her and raise an eyebrow.

“Can I help you?” he asked. The woman smiled.

“Erika Sikes. Reporter” she replied. Mark frowned as he stood up.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Sikes?” he inquired.

“Is it true? That there was a chase?” Erika asked. Mark huffed.

“Yeah, there was a chase this morning. I ran, I miscalculated, I stopped, I slid. It was more of a stop-slide” he replied. Erika laughed.

“That’s not even a real thing” she giggled. Mark’s lips turned up in a quirk before he frowned again.

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked, crossing his arms. Erika smiled.

“Well, I’m just following up on the murder at the Dorset. You have a time of death on the victim?” she asked. Mark’s eyes widened.

“Ms. Sikes, I don’t know if you know this, but I’m not allowed to comment on an ongoing case” he stated. Erika huffed before she pulled up her phone and showed him a photo.

“Too bad. Someone’s shopping this around” she stated. Mark frowned and reached out, taking the phone from her.

“It’s a photo of Kristin Banks. She’s the victim” he murmured. Erika nodded.

“Yeah, and maybe the killer. His arm, at least. I just want to know if she’s dead here or just sleeping” she stated. Mark frowned before he held up the phone.

“Where’d you get this?” he demanded. Erika smiled and shrugged.

“Third party. Sorry, can’t reveal my sources” she replied as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Word is, the guy that’s cropped out is Brady Jensen. And judging by your reaction, it is. Everyone knows you have him in custody” she reminded. Mark huffed.

“Yeah. This is a hot case. You give me till the end of the day, okay?” he asked.

“You’ve got till 3:00” Erika declared. Mark was quiet before he huffed.

“Fine” he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	103. Case 15: Sudden Death - Part 5

In the interrogation room, Mark and Taeyong stood before Brady and his agent, placing the photo before the two men.

“Seem familiar, gentlemen?” Taeyong asked. Brady took one look at the photo before he looked up at Taeyong.

“Where did you get that?” he demanded. 

“From a news reporter. In fact, that photo is being shopped to every media outlet from here to the West Coast” Mark explained. Brady’s agent frowned.

“What? Who took this?” he asked. Taeyong smirked.

“I believe you did, Chip” he replied. Brady turned to look at the agent, Chip, and shot to his feet.

“You son of a bitch! You said you were gonna take care of this, that I didn’t have anything to worry about!” he shouted, only to have Mark grab him by the shoulders and shove him into his seat.

“Sit down!” he ordered before he turned to look at Chip.

“What did you think? You gonna blackmail him into being your new client?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Chip shook his head.

“I didn’t take this photo” he argued. Taeyong huffed.

“And yet, here it is, Chip” he growled softly as he crossed his arms and looked at Brady.

“You said, my friend, that she was gone when you woke up in the cabana, so, the photograph confirms you were lying” he deadpanned. Brady was quiet before he sighed.

“Yeah, alright, I lied. When I woke up, Kristin was on the bed with me, and he was there” he stated, pointing a finger at Chip.

~*~*~*~*~

_Brady was asleep in the cabana, Kristin right next to him, when Chip found them. He then reached over and shook Brady’s shoulder._

_“Hey, kid, wake up. Wake up!” he exclaimed. Brady cracked open an eye and the minute he saw Kristin, he shot up. Chip then reached out and placed two fingers on Kristin’s neck but couldn’t find a pulse._

_“This girl’s lights out. What the hell did you do?” he demanded._

~*~*~*~*~

“I didn’t do anything. She was already dead. I wanted to call the paramedics, but he convinced me not to” Brady snapped, glaring at Chip.

~*~*~*~*~

_“_ _We have to call 911” Brady urged, motioning to Kristin on the bed. Chip shook his head._

_“She’s dead. You call the cops; you go from number one draft pick to number one murder suspect” he snapped. Brady let out a whine._

_“Oh man. I screwed up. What am I gonna do?” he demanded, looking at Chip. Chip was quiet, a small smile on his face._

_“Sounds like you need representation” he mused before he turned to look at Brady._

_“Here’s how this works: I help you, you sign with me. You got it?” he demanded. Brady was quiet before he nodded solemnly. Chip nodded._

_“Great. Welcome to the family. I’ll take care of this” he assured before he took Kristin’s body and dumped it in the pool._

~*~*~*~*~

“I know it was the wrong thing, I just…I didn’t know what to do” Brady whimpered. Mark huffed.

“If I were you, I’d look into signing with a new agent” he growled, glaring at Chip.

“So would I, because this one’s under arrest” Taeyong added, eyes flashing red. Chip frowned.

“I moved a dead body. That’s it. Was no killing, no photos” he murmured. Taeyong hummed.

“No killing, no photos. **No bail** ” he snarled, eyes fully glowing red this time.

~*~*~*~*~

Down in the morgue, Taeil slipped on a new pair of gloves after he cut Kristin open and cut her ribcage with bolt cutters, allowing him access to her internal organs. He then took a large glass jar and a ladle and began scooping out her blood, placing it inside the jar. After he took out all the excess blood, he placed the jar to the side before he took a scalpel and cut into Kristin’s lungs, finding both a piece of tooth as well as a piece of gold confetti. He then turned to one of his assistants and smirked.

“Call Donghyuck, please. He’s gonna wanna see this” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

After being paged, Donghyuck headed down to the morgue.

“Heard you wanted to see me, hyung?” he asked, walking over to Taeil and Kristin’s body. Taeil nodded.

“Still missing half a crown out there somewhere, but I did find one half” he declared as he held up a petri dish with part of a crown in it. 

“Thought I found the other, but it turned out to be…” he started, holding up another petri dish, which Donghyuck immediately took from him.

“Confetti” he murmured. Taeil nodded.

“Metalized PVC, but yeah, confetti” he replied. Donghyuck frowned as he looked at the confetti before handing it back to Taeil.

“This aspirated into her lungs, which means that it traveled down her throat with the champagne” he theorized. Taeil chuckled as he looked at the piece of confetti that Donghyuck handed back to him.

“Kind of blows your case right open” he teased. Donghyuck chuckled.

“You’re awesome hyung” he replied. Taeil grinned.

“I know” he agreed cheekily. Donghyuck cackled before he cleared his throat and pulled out his phone, dialing a number.

_“_ _The Dorset”_ Amanda answered.

“This is CSI Lee Donghyuck, YPD. Need to ask you a question: what time does the confetti drop there at the Dorset every night?” Donghyuck asked.

_“_ _Is this a joke?”_ Amanda asked. Donghyuck growled.

“No, this isn’t a joke. If you don’t want to be charged with hindering a murder investigation, you know, just answer my question. What time?” he snapped. Taeil raised an eyebrow at him as Amanda sighed on the other line.

_“_ _Midnight”_ she replied.

“Every night?” Donghyuck inquired.

_“_ _Midnight every night”_ Amanda assured. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay, thank you” he thanked before he hung up and looked at Taeil, smiling.

“Actually might have just given us a timeline for when Kristin began dying” he declared. Taeil nodded.

“When the confetti was released” he agreed.

“Midnight” Donghyuck declared before he turned and walked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	104. Case 15: Sudden Death - Part 6

After leaving the morgue, Donghyuck headed over to Doyoung in the computer lab.

“Tell me something good” Doyoung called out as Donghyuck walked over to him.

“Okay. I just got the time of the inciting incident” Donghyuck declared. Doyoung looked over at him and smiled.

“Alright, I’ll take it” he agreed before he motioned to the computer.

“The computer receipts say that the champagne was delivered to 11:57 pm so it has to be sometime after that” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“It was. The confetti in Kristin’s lungs puts her inside the club exactly at midnight when the champagne was forced on her” he explained. Doyoung hummed.

“Okay. I’m guessing you want to take a look at the VIP seating chart?” he asked. Donghyuck smiled.

“I do” he replied. Doyoung nodded.

“Well, I’ll tell you what; I’ll look at the hard copies, and I will call you after I’ve done it” he stated. Donghyuck smiled again.

“Thanks hyung” he thanked before he turned and walked out. Doyoung nodded.

“You’re welcome” he called back.

~*~*~*~*~

At the cabana, Yuta and Mark were trying to recreate the angle of the photo that Erika showed Mark earlier that day.

“Alright, raise it up a quarter turn, Mark” Yuta instructed as he looked at his computer. Mark, who was behind the camera, did as he was told.

“And then tilt it down just a smidge” Yuta continued. Mark let out a soft laugh.

“Just a smidge, huh? This day and age with all the technology at our fingertips, we’re still referring to things in smidges, skoshes” he murmured before he pointed to the camera he was manning.

“Incidentally, this is the same camera used to take a picture of Brady and Kristin?” he asked, looking down at Yuta. Yuta nodded.

“Mmhm. The software uses height analysis algorithms to estimate the height of the photographer” he replied. Mark smiled slightly.

“Can it estimate to the nearest smidge?” he teased. Yuta looked up and playfully glared at him before reaching up to smack his butt.

“Punk. And yes. Every digital photo contains EXIF data, which includes the type of camera used. In this case, a 12.2 megapixel Notron camera” he explained, holding out a file to Mark, who took it and opened it, looking at the EXIF data analysis that Yuta had run. 

“Now, can you tilt it forward just a tad?” Yuta asked. Mark turned back to the camera and slowly began leaning the camera down until Yuta threw up a hand.

“Stop, stop, stop! We got it! The exact height and the angel the photographer used” he declared before he looked up at Mark.

“There are a million different ways to hold a camera, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to see what you’re shooting” he explained as he stood to his feet, Mark walking over to him; leaning over his shoulder to see his computer.

“So, using the angle of the camera, I can determine the eyeline” he continued before he hummed.

“Looks like our photographer was five feet, three inches tall. Or 160 cm” he declared. Mark sighed.

“Well, that eliminates Brady’s agent. Chip Ford is 6’3” or 190.5 cm” he murmured. Yuta hummed.

“I’m guessing it’s definitely not a guy” he mused. Mark nodded in agreement.

“Not a guy. We’re looking for a girl” he agreed. Yuta frowned.

“But all we have to go on is the height” he reminded. Mark was quiet, nodding his head in agreement, before he crossed his arms.

“You know, hyung, one of the bottle girls knew that Brady and Kristin were down at the cabana. Let’s start with her” he suggested. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the interrogation room, Taeyong slid the photo of Kristin in the cabana over to Sarah and sighed.

“So you took that photograph of Kristin and Brady. And I point that out because you told me you’d never been at the cabana” he stated, giving Sarah a look. Sarah looked back at him before she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Oh God” she whimpered before looking up at Taeyong.

“I didn’t know she was dead” she assured. Taeyong crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“Why’d you take the photograph?” he asked gently.

“If I didn’t, I was gonna get fired” Sarah explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Because that’s how Amanda rolls” he murmured. Sarah nodded.

“She makes all of us take pictures. Actors, athletes” she explained. 

“You know, Sarah, that’s called extortion” Taeyong reminded. Sarah shook her head.

“No. It’s like we’re her own private paparazzi. The whole idea of guys getting the guys drunk is for the pictures” she explained. 

“And the tabloids” Taeyong added. Sarah was quiet before she sighed.

“I’m caught. There is _no way out._ All I can think of is what happens to my son if I end up like Kristin” she snapped.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the interrogation room, Taeyong headed to Club Dorset to speak to Amanda.

“So you supplied the girls with cameras?” he asked, causing Amanda to jump, since he came out of nowhere. She then turned to face him as he placed a photo of Kristin on the counter. Amanda shrugged.

“Well, anyone can take pictures outside the club. It’s the stuff that goes on inside that the gossip mags really want” she explained as Taeyong looked up towards the ceiling while she walked around the bar.

“Like the number one draft pick in bed with a bottle girl. Especially if said draft pick is saving himself for marriage” she continued. Taeyong hummed before he placed his hands on his hips.

“You know what I think?” he started, making Amanda raise an eyebrow at him.

“I think Kristin got sick of doing your dirty work” he deduced. Amanda scoffed.

“I think Kristin got a sudden crush on the quarterback” she replied. 

“Which was what her text was about, wasn’t it?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“ _“I’m not doing this?”_ Come on. Brady was just too big a fish. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that” Amanda explained.

~*~*~*~*~

_The previous evening, Amanda read Kristin’s text and turned off her phone before she walked over to the bar, looking at Sarah._

_“Sarah, I need you to go to the private cabana and take some snaps of Kristin and Brady, mid-action” she instructed. Sarah frowned._

_“I thought Kristin was supposed to do that” she stated. Amanda smiled as she handed Sarah a camera._

_“Well, I’m not paying you for your thoughts. Do your job” she ordered. Sarah made a small face before she took the camera and headed out to the cabana, taking a few quick shots of Kristin and Brady passed out before she pulled the camera away and ran a hand through her hair._

~*~*~*~*~

“Whether it’s police evidence or full access, the picture’s out there, and my club’s standing room only for the next six months” Amanda declared. Taeyong huffed.

“Because a picture of a dead girl with a choir boy quarterback would be a homerun for this club, wouldn’t it?” he growled, eyes flashing red. Amanda looked at him, scandalized.

“You’re accusing me of killing her?” she exclaimed. 

“Turn your confetti on, please” Taeyong ordered. Amanda shook her head.

“What is it with you guys and the confetti?” she grumbled. 

**“Turn. It. On”** Taeyong growled, eyes glowing red. Amanda looked at him in fear before she quickly walked back behind the bar and turned on the confetti, Taeyong watching the beautiful pieces of paper fall from the sky.

~*~*~*~*~

“So Kristin inhales champagne with a side of confetti at midnight, unaware she’s drowning herself, then heads out to a cabana for some alone time with Brady” Mark stated as he, Donghyuck, and Sicheng stood in the computer room. 

“Where she’s dead by morning” Yuta added from behind them, making them all jump.

“Yuta! Jesus, warn us next time” Sicheng scolded. Yuta smiled.

“Sorry baby” he apologized. Mark then crossed his arms, continuing with his theory.

“Right, she’s a victim of a delayed drowning, but not by the pool, which is what we found her in” he continued. Yuta nodded.

“But Brady and his agent insist they had nothing to do with Kristin or the champagne” he reminded. Donghyuck huffed.

“Yeah, well, they still conspired to make her death look like an accident” he stated as Yuta looked at Sicheng.

“What’ve you got, baby?” he asked. 

“Well, Doyoung pulled up the seating chart from last night, but not with a whole lot of expectation” Sicheng replied. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Well, not necessarily. You know, at the Dorset, where it’s 20 grand a table, you tend to stay in one place” he stated. Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah, and thanks to Taeyong hyung, we also know that the confetti does too” he added. Yuta frowned.

“The what?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Each mortar shoots a different color over every table, so, silver got shot over a baseball phenom’s table. Green was for a real estate mogul. Blue was for our quarterback from last night. And gold was reserved for one table” he declared as he pulled up every name for every color confetti.

“Richard Ellison’s” Donghyuck declared as he looked at the computer screen.

~*~*~*~*~

_“Stop it!” Kristin shouted as Richard shoved her into his booth._

_“Come on, have a drink on me” he purred before he took the bottle of champagne that he had ordered and shoved it into her mouth, just as the confetti went off overhead._

_“Stop it!” Kristin shouted, shoving the bottle away._

_“Sure you don’t want some more, huh?” Richard asked as he shoved the bottle back into her mouth, forcing more champagne down her throat._

_“Get off of me!” Kristin shouted, shoving him away before running away from the table._

~*~*~*~*~

“You know, he bought that bottle of champagne at three minutes before midnight. He had to have forced it on her right there” Sicheng stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“Let’s prove it” he growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	105. Case 15: Sudden Death - CASE CLOSED

A little while later, Jaehyun and a few of his officers headed out to Richard Ellison’s yacht, which Richard was on. Before he could try and stop them from coming on, Jaehyun slapped a warrant onto his chest before walking onto the yacht, Yuta and a few other officers stepping on. They then began searching the boat for anything that could be evidence when Yuta found the grey, double-vented plaid jacket and held it up. The minute Jaehyun saw the jacket, he pulled out his handcuffs and arrested Richard, bringing him back to the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

“Because I spilled champagne on myself?” Richard asked as Donghyuck placed Richard’s jacket on a hanger and hung it up before running a flashlight over it.

“You did more than that” Yuta growled, running the same device that Sicheng used on Brady and the cabana bedding on Richard, just as Donghyuck found something shiny on the jacket.

“Jackpot” he whispered, as he took a pair of tweezers and plucked off a gold piece of confetti.

“Well, this is no crown, but this does put you in the VIP area at midnight” he declared, looking over at Richard.

“Of course I was; it was my table. Kristin and I were just having fun” Richard explained. Yuta huffed.

“Just having a little fun, huh?” he murmured as he ran the device over the bottom of Richard’s pants lets and shoes.

“Well, there’s no crown on him, but he’s got champagne all over his shoes” he declared.

“Yeah. Amazing how much of that stuff people waste. Toss it around without a care in the world” Richard grumbled. Meanwhile, Donghyuck was checking the inside of Richard’s outer breast pocket when he found something, so he took his tweezers and pulled it out, smirking when found it. He then turned to look at Richard and glared.

“Fun, right?” he growled before he walked over to him, holding up his tweezers.

“You know, it takes 150 PSI to displace a crown, hm?” he growled, none too gently poking Richard in the cheek before showing him the piece of bone in his tweezers.

“That was fun for you?” he snarled.

~*~*~*~*~

“She was _my_ bottle girl! She worked my parties; she took care of me. All of a sudden, she starts acting like I’m a nobody” Richard growled as Taeyong dragged him into an interrogation room.

“All that money I spent, and she thinks she can just drop me? So yes, I may have gotten a little rowdy with her, okay” he continued.

~*~*~*~*~

_“I_ _told you, I’m not your girl anymore. I need to get back to my other client” Kristin growled to Richard, but Richard just grabbed her and pulled her close._

_“No, he went to the little boy’s room. Why don’t you stay, have a drink?” Richard purred. Kristin turned and pulled away when Richard pulled her back._

_“Wait, huh?” he asked before he dragged her over to the booth, none too gently threw her into the booth and shoved the bottle of champagne down her throat, watching as she choked and gagged and spat alcohol everywhere._

~*~*~*~*~

“The girl humiliated you, and you wanted to do the same to her” Taeyong growled, taking a step towards Richard, eyes glowing red.

“It stopped when she ran away. She was fine” Richard assured.

**“** **She was** ** _not_** **fine. She died from the champagne hours later”** Taeyong snarled. Richard shook his head.

“I never meant to hurt her” he murmured. 

**“** **It’s called involuntary manslaughter”** Taeyong growled. Richard looked at him in shock.

“I could go to prison for this?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

**“** **I don’t think you understand the situation; your actions killed the girl”** he snarled. Richard looked at him for a moment before he narrowed his eyes.

“This is about Sarah, isn’t it?” he demanded. Taeyong smirked before his gaze turned deadly as he glared at Richard.

**“** **If you** ** _ever_** **contact Sarah again, I** ** _will_** **find you and deal with you** ** _myself_** **”** he threatened. Richard blinked in shock before he nodded. Taeyong then motioned for an officer to take him away; the officer leading Richard out of the crime lab while in another interrogation room, an officer was leading Brady’s agent, Chip, away as well.

~*~*~*~*~

_“_ _Sources say that this arm belongs to All-American football star Brady Jensen. Brady Jensen in bed with a dead woman. Just how does he bounce back from that? Can he bounce back from that?”_ Erika Sikes asked on the television, Mark and Donghyuck watching from the breakroom.

“What the fuck is this lady’s problem?” Mark grumbled. Donghyuck huffed and shook his head.

“Reporters. They’re all a little fucked up” he replied. Mark gave him a look.

“Not all of them” he reminded. Donghyuck nodded.

“No, you’re right. Not all of them are, but people like her? They just like to weave their web of pieced together truths with some added in lies and fuck up people’s lives” he grumbled as he rested his head on Mark’s shoulder.

_“_ _Looks like he’s just being released from police custody…let’s see if we can get an interview”_ Erika declared before she walked over to Brady.

_“_ _Brady. Erika Sikes, Full Access. Is it true that your agent attempted to cover the murder of Kristin Banks?”_ she asked. Brady shook his head.

_“_ _He’s not my agent”_ he replied. 

_“_ _So you’re saying you had nothing to do with the murder?”_ Erika asked. Brady shook his head again.

_“_ _No”_ he replied.

_“_ _Do you have anything to say to your fans, to those who’ve looked up to you?”_ Erika asked. Brady finally stopped walking and turned to face her.

_“_ _Erika, I made some terrible choices. It’s a long, hard road back for me. But my name and career are insignificant compared to what happened to Kristin”_ he stated before he turned to look at the camera.

_“If_ _I have any fans left out there, I’d ask that you think of her family before you waste time looking at a photo that Erika bought with blood money”_ he declared, looking one last time at Erika.

_“_ _You’re not a journalist, you’re a jackal”_ he spat before he turned and walked away. Erika watched him walk away, stunned into silence, while Mark and Donghyuck stared at the screen in shock.

“Damn, boy has some balls!” Donghyuck exclaimed as Mark chuckled.

“She definitely got what she deserved” he agreed. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the bus stop, Jaehyun and Taeyong were waiting with Sarah and her son, Lucas.

“Kristin and I, we were a lot alike. We…we weren’t cut out for this” Sarah explained as she looked at them.

“Every day was another compromise, another…demand” she continued. Taeyong looked at her sympathetically.

“You gonna be okay?” he asked. Sarah nodded.

“Yeah. I’m gonna take us back home; focus on my son, not clients” she replied before she looked at them and shook her head.

“You don’t have to pay for our trip” she stated. Jaehyun smiled and shook his head. 

“It’s not a problem” he assured. Sarah smiled gratefully before she looked at Taeyong.

“What about Kristin? What about her body?” she asked. Taeyong smiled.

“Kristin will go home too and rest in peace” he assured. Sarah hummed.

“Maybe her family will find comfort in knowing that you caught the killer” she murmured. Taeyong chuckled.

“That’s the hope” he replied. Sarah then stepped forward and threw her arms around Taeyong, hugging him tightly. Taeyong gently stroked the back of her hair before they pulled away and Sarah hugged Jaehyun as well. When they pulled away, Sarah stepped back to grab her luggage before looking over her shoulder at Lucas, who was doodling in a notebook.

“Come on, sweetie” she called out. Lucas closed his notebook and put it into his backpack before he hopped off the bench and walked over to Sarah, Jaehyun, and Taeyong.

“Be good” Taeyong instructed. 

“And take care of your mom, okay?” Jaehyun added. Lucas nodded before he and his mom headed to the bus. 

“Hey Sarah?” Taeyong called out, making Sarah stop and turn to look back at him.

“Take care” he bid. Sarah smiled before she waved goodbye, she and Lucas placing her luggage on the bus before they got on. Jaehyun and Taeyong stayed at the bus stop and waited until every last passenger got on, watching as the bus doors closed before pulling away. Jaehyun then looked over at Taeyong and smiled.

“Let’s go home” he suggested. Taeyong smiled and nodded.

“Okay” he agreed, reaching out to take Jaehyun’s hand as they walked away from the bus station.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	106. Case 16: Crowned - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last case of this story!!

At a very fancy hotel in Yadrioria, out on the grounds, a beauty pageant for young girls was being put on.

_“Welcome everyone to the Royal Azalea Pageant two-day extravaganza! Tomorrow night, one of these lucky beauties will be named the overall winner!”_ an announcer announced over a loudspeaker. Girls and parents alike cheered for girls on the runway while in a tent nearby, a little girl was getting ready.

“Kierra, you’re up next!” a man called out as the little girl was placing fake eyelashes on her eyes. 

“Oof. There’s one down” a woman teased before she chuckled. Meanwhile, another little girl a few seats down in a sparkly blue dress was getting ready.

“No! I don’t want to wear the flipper!” she snapped. 

“Melrose. Without it, you get the runner-up ribbon; with it, you get the big crown” the girl’s mother stated. The girl, Melrose, huffed, making the mother sigh and grab a bag of candy.

“I will give you one of your special treats” she stated, pulling out a candy. Melrose turned her nose up at it, knowing that her mother would give in.

“Two” her mother bargained. Melrose looked up at her before she took the candies and popped them into her mouth, quickly chewing them before slipping on a pair of pearly white retainers. She then flashed a dazzling smile in the mirror before she looked up at her mother.

“I feel like a bunny rabbit” she grumbled. Her mother smiled.

“Well, you look like a winner. Got to keep your energy up” she instructed. Melrose rolled her eyes as she took out the retainer, since it was uncomfortable.

“Oh, hey Suze. Today might be our day” another mother called out, making Melrose’s mother look over at her as the mom looked at Melrose.

“Good luck, sweetie” she bid.

_“Alright, thank you Sapphire! Next we welcome to the stage, Kierra!”_ the announcer called out as a pretty young African American girl dressed in a bright yellow dress walked down the catwalk. Meanwhile, out in the crowd, a little girl looked up at a man in a suit.

“Mr. Chambers, why is my age group now moved up to 3:00?” she asked. 

“Blakely is at her prime between 8:00 and 11:00 am” the girl’s mother explained. The man, Mr. Chambers, shook his head.

“Well, my wife handles those aspects of the pageant” he explained. The girl’s mother made a face.

“Oh. I see” she murmured. Meanwhile, in the tent, the little girl from earlier, was getting her hair pinned when her mother jabbed little too hard.

“Ow! Stop, Mommy! You’re hurting me!” she exclaimed, making her mother roll her eyes in exasperation.

“Beauty is pain, baby. If you want to beat Melrose, your hair has to be perfect” she explained.

_“And now welcome…Tori!”_ the announcer announced. The little girl’s mother clapped her hands as she watched her daughter, Tori, walked out onto the catwalk and hammed it up, princess waving to a few of the people in the crowd before she turned and walked back down the catwalk, heading back behind stage, where she jumped into her mother’s waiting arms.

“Good job, sweetie!” she praised.

_“Now we welcome to the stage two-time Royal Azalea champion, Melrose!”_ the announcer announced as Melrose took the stage.

“Hi! I’m Melrose and I’m six. My favorite color is magenta and I want to be a ballerina when I grow up” she declared with a bright smile, causing the audience to “aw” as she walked down the runway. Melrose smiled and waved, just as a confetti cannon went off, startling everyone around her as she headed backstage.

~*~*~*~*~

Later that afternoon, one of the stage managers went to Melrose’s room and knocked on the door before pushing it open.

“Melrose? You in here?” he called out as he stepped inside. He looked around, but no one was in the room.

“Mrs. Gramercy? We’re ready for Melrose in the beachwear lineup” he called again as he continued further into the room.

“Mrs. Gramercy?” he called before he looked over at the bathroom door, which was shut, and huffed.

“If you don’t get downstairs in five minutes, you’re gonna lose points” he stated. There was a pause before Melrose dressed in pajamas holding a stuffed monkey stepped out, very messy makeup all over her face.

“Mommy says I have to learn how to do my own makeup” she explained. The stage manager sighed.

“Where’s your mommy?” he asked gently. 

“She’s sleeping” Melrose replied. The manager groaned.

“Of course she is” he murmured before he headed towards the bed and pulled back the covers, only to reveal three large pillows being used as a body. The manager frowned and glanced at Melrose before he walked around to the other side of the bed, only to pause, eyes widening in horror as he looked down at Melrose’s mother, lying on the floor, a large pageant crown piercing her through her eye socket, blood all over her face.

“Oh sweet Jesus” he whispered before he quickly turned and walked over to Melrose.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here” he murmured, ushering her out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Taeyong and his team arrived at the scene. 

“This woman was murdered while her six-year-old daughter was hiding in the bathroom, Taeil” Taeyong murmured as Taeil looked at Melrose’s mother, who was on a gurney, the crown still in her face.

“Did she see the killer?” Taeil replied, looking up at him. Taeyong sighed.

“That’s yet to be determined” he replied as Taeil gently and carefully removed the crown from Mrs. Gramercy’s face. He then took one look at the crown and nodded.

“Ah. There’s my cause of death” he murmured as he pointed to the spike of the crown.

“The spike penetrated the ocular cavity and passed into the frontal lobe; caused intracranial bleeding” he explained as he studied the crown.

“Seems to me like someone in the pageant wanted to send a message” he mused. Taeyong looked down at Mrs. Gramercy and huffed.

“I think the message is clear: there are no winners today, Taeil. Not today” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	107. Case 16: Crowned - Part 2

Down in the lobby of the hotel, the pageant was still going in full swing, with mothers signing in their girls and parents escorting their children around in pretty dresses. Meanwhile, Doyoung and Mark were walking on the scene, Mark shuddering slightly.

“You know, even without the murder, this is looking a little creepy” he murmured. Doyoung chuckled.

“You know, as a former pageant prince, I’d completely agree” he replied. Mark looked over at him in shock.

“What?” he gasped. Doyoung chuckled as he faked a princely wave, making Mark hum.

“Oh, I see” he replied. Doyoung shrugged.

“It’s just like a rite of passage, you know, for Southern girls. Some boys participate in it, but not all. I did it mainly for the talent portion; I didn’t really care all that much about the costumes” he explained. 

“I spent thousands of dollars getting Tori ready for this and you’re cancelling?” Tori’s mother snapped as Mark and Doyoung walked over to her.

“Thousands? Thought the top prize was a $200 college savings bond” Mark murmured to Doyoung, who hummed in reply before he and Mark stopped before the two women, one of them being Tori’s mother.

“Excuse me, we’re looking for the pageant director” he stated. The woman with the walkie-talkie in her hand smiled.

“Yours truly. Darla Chambers” she greeted, shaking Doyoung’s hand. Doyoung smiled stiffly.

“Pleasure. I’m Kim Doyoung, this is Mark Lee. We’re with Yadrioria Police Department” he introduced. Darla nodded as Tori’s mother cleared her throat.

“Excuse me, what about crowning? My daughter was on track to win” she snapped. Darla looked at her before looking back at Doyoung and Mark.

“Officers, you have to understand that our contestants, they spend months preparing for Royal Azalea, and their moms spend a lot of money” she explained in a voice that most people would use when trying to explain something difficult or hard to a child (or to someone they thought was stupid). Doyoung huffed.

“I understand what you’re saying. It’s just that one of your mothers was murdered” he deadpanned. 

“What?! Oh my god” Tori’s mother exclaimed. Darla shook her head.

“Yeah, I hadn’t made that announcement” she explained as Mark clapped his hands.

“Okay, ladies. I’m going to need y’all to back up, please. Just, back up. Thanks” he thanked as the women slowly stepped back. Darla then looked up, her eyes widening slightly.

“Edwin!” she called out as a man walked towards her.

“You want me on mom patrol?” the man asked. Darla nodded.

“Yeah” she replied. The man, Edwin, nodded before he looked at the mothers standing behind Darla.

“Ladies, I can try and get answers for all your questions. There are complimentary refreshments in the banquet room. Follow me” he instructed, motioning for all moms to follow him away from Mark, Doyoung, and Darla.

“We’re gonna need a list of all the contestants in the pageant” Mark stated.

“And I see that you have video cameras taping the event” Doyoung added. Darla nodded.

“Yes, it’s for our Sizzle reel” she explained. Doyoung hummed and nodded.

“Okay, we’re gonna need all of the footage” he stated. Darla nodded in agreement.

“Okay, I can get that for you. It’s gonna take a little while” she explained.

“As soon as possible” Mark snapped. Darla blinked as Doyoung crossed his arms.

“Do you know where the victim’s family is?” he asked. 

“Right through that door” Darla replied, pointing to the lobby doors behind Mark and Doyoung. Mark and Doyoung nodded before they turned and headed inside the hotel.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, the two of you were staying in a separate room from Melrose and your mother?” Doyoung asked as he stood before Melrose, Melrose’s father, Larry, and Melrose’s older sister, Jan. Jan nodded.

“Yeah, my mom likes to keep everything calm for her the night before the pageant” she explained. 

“Is there anyone else who had a key?” Doyoung asked, keeping his voice gentle to make sure that Melrose didn’t get scared. Larry shook his head.

“Absolutely not” he replied.

“No” Jan added. Doyoung nodded before he looked at Larry.

“Okay, Mr. Gramercy, I’d like to ask Melrose some questions and it is our protocol to talk to a child separately in a neutral location away from the family” he explained. Larry shook his head.

“Keep her out of it. She’s six years old” he snapped. Doyoung nodded slowly.

“I understand your concern. However, your wife was murdered and we don’t know what happened in that room. It’s best if Melrose spoke to a doctor” he explained gently. Larry pursed his lip before he sighed.

“Okay” he agreed before he knelt down to look at Melrose.

“Hey. This nice man is going to ask you some questions, okay?” he explained. Melrose frowned at him.

“But Hoppa, I want to be here when Mommy wakes up” she replied. Larry looked at her while Jan looked at Doyoung, who just smiled gently.

“We’re going to see about that, okay?” Larry asked. Melrose nodded before she threw her arms around Larry and hugged him tightly. She then pulled away and gave Jan a hug as Larry stood to his feet.

“Please look out for my daughter” he asked. Doyoung smiled and nodded.

“I will” he assured before he looked at Melrose and held out his hand.

“Come on, sweetie” he instructed, his voice gentle. Melrose looked up at him before reaching out to take his hand, both of them walking away. 

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the room, Mark and Donghyuck were taking pictures of the scene. As they looked around, Donghyuck found a photo of a very dolled up Melrose and shook his head.

“You see this?” he asked, looking over at Mark, who looked up from writing something in his notebook.

“What’s up?” he asked. Donghyuck motioned to the picture.

“She doesn’t even look real. She looks like a doll” he explained. Mark shook his head.

“I don’t understand why parents put kindergarteners through this. Just let kids be kids” he grumbled. 

“I here ya, babe. It’s disgusting” Donghyuck agreed as he put the photo down before kneeling down to search the floor for any evidence. As he looked, he found a shiny stone, which he picked up and looked at with his flashlight.

“Hey Mark. Check this out” he called out, making Mark look up before walking over to him.

“Looks like a pink bead” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah. Maybe it’s from one of those dresses” he offered, motioning to the rack of dresses against one of the walls. Mark looked over at the rack and walked over to it, shifting through the dresses.

“See anything?” Donghyuck asked. Mark shook his head.

“No, I don’t think it came from any of these” he replied. Donghyuck hummed.

“Well, if it didn’t come from one of her dresses, then maybe the killer tracked it in” he suggested as Mark walked over to the crown that Taeil bagged earlier when he took Melrose’s mother out of the room.

“You said that this crown was already in the room, right?” he asked, holding up the evidence bag with the crown in it. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, Melrose won it at her last pageant. Mommy brought it for motivation” he grumbled. Mark hummed as he studied the crown.

“And this was used to stab her?” he asked. Donghyuck sighed and shrugged.

“Maybe someone thought Melrose didn’t deserve the title and they decided to take it out on her mom” he suggested. Mark looked at the crown one last time before he made a face.

“That’s fucked up” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	108. Case 16: Crowned - Part 3

After leaving the scene, Mark took the crown to Yuta’s lab, where Yuta took the crown out of the evidence bag and studied it, holding a magnifying glass up to the shiny stones that were in the crown when he noticed something caught in the settings. He then placed the magnifying glass down before he picked up a tweezer and grabbed what he found in the setting, which looked like a long piece of blonde hair.

“Oo, Sicheng’s gonna love you” he murmured before he headed over to Sicheng’s lab.

“Baby, I got something for you” he called out. Sicheng looked up at him and smiled.

“What’ve you got?” he asked. Yuta held up the bag.

“A hair with no follicle” he stated. Sicheng hummed.

“Ah, no DNA” he replied. Yuta nodded.

“Which is why I came to you” he explained, handing the bag over to Sicheng, who took it and looked at it.

“Are you thinking a drug test?” he asked. Yuta sighed.

“I’m hoping if we can find any prescriptions, then we can cross-check it against the other registrants at the pageant” he explained. Sicheng sighed this time.

“For that kind of analysis, I usually have several strands to work with” he murmured. Yuta smiled.

“I know you can do it, baby” he praised. Sicheng blushed before he took a pair of scissors and snipped a piece of the hair, placing it into a micropipette tube, filling it with solution before placing it in a machine. He then ran the test, before turning back to his computer.

“Oo. It worked” he murmured, making Yuta perk up a little. 

“What did you get?” he asked. Sicheng hummed as he stared at his computer screen.

“Your hair shows me that the only drug that this person ingested is Isotretinoin” he declared. Yuta frowned.

“The fuck is that?” he asked.

“Prescription acne medication” Sicheng replied. Yuta hummed.

“So…most likely from a teenager” he mused. Sicheng nodded.

“Mm” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Jan, we found a strand of your hair on the murder weapon” Taeyong stated as he and Sicheng stood before Jan in the interrogation room, Larry sitting on a bench behind her.

“You told the police earlier you were never in that room” Sicheng added. Jan shook her head.

“Well, I wasn’t” she explained before she paused.

“Oh. My hair was” she murmured. Sicheng frowned.

“Your what?” he asked. Jan nodded.

“Yeah, my mom…she makes me grow out my hair so she can cut it off and use it to make Melrose’s wiglet” she explained. Sicheng frowned, still confused.

“I’m sorry, a wiglet?” he repeated. Jan stared at him before she realized that Sicheng had no idea what she was talking about.

“Oh, it’s a little hairpiece, makes her hair look fuller” she explained. Taeyong frowned.

“Are you always that generous with your sister?” he asked. Jan looked at him before she huffed.

“I had my chance, winning crowns and stuff. I hit puberty and well, it was Melrose’s turn” she answered. Taeyong hummed.

“Were you angry about that?” he asked. Jan looked at him, scandalized.

“No. My mom liked the pageants more than I did anyways” she replied. 

“You still go every weekend to cheer on Melrose” Sicheng reminded, giving her a look.

“Look…we’re a close family. You know, if you want to find her killer, you really should look at the other kids’ moms” Jan spat. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“They’re competitive” he murmured. Jan scoffed.

“They’re crazy! Especially this one woman, Alicia Haverford. Melrose beat her daughter in the last four pageants. She was _beyond_ pissed” she explained. Sicheng and Taeyong looked at one another before Taeyong nodded.

“Check it out” he instructed.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, Haverford’s here in 107” Donghyuck murmured as he and Sicheng walked down the hall of the hotel to her room. Sicheng huffed.

“Yeah, she must be crazy competitive” he murmured.

“NO! NO! NO! NO!” a voice screamed from inside the room, making Donghyuck and Sicheng’s eyes widen before they rushed over to the room.

“Hey, Yadrioria PD! Open the door!” Donghyuck shouted as he banged on the door.

There was just more screaming coming from inside, so Donghyuck burst open the door and ran inside, Sicheng following behind, both men racing up the stairs into the room.

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Alicia Haverford demanded as she looked at the two men.

“What are you doing?!” Sicheng snapped while Donghyuck placed his hand on his hips.

“What’s going on in here?” he asked. 

“What’s happening? Are you okay, sweetheart?” Sicheng as he knelt before Tori, gently placing a hand on her knee, looking at her in concern.

“I was just bleaching Tori’s teeth” Alicia explained, making Donghyuck glare at her.

“ _“You’re just bleaching her teeth”_. She’s six fucking years old!” he exclaimed. 

“Mommy says beauty is pain” Tori murmured to Sicheng, who raised an eyebrow at her.

“They’re just baby teeth” Alicia grumbled, causing Sicheng to look back at her.

“What?” he exclaimed.

“We’re gonna get her some real great caps when she’s ready” Alicia declared, making Donghyuck put his head in his hands as Sicheng looked at the bleaching packet.

“This says 16 and up!” he exclaimed before he turned to glare at Alicia, eyes glowing pink.

“You know, what you’re doing, lady, is borderline child abuse!” he snapped. Alicia rolled her eyes.

“Everybody here does it” she replied. Sicheng huffed.

**“** **Great, then, I’ll have Child Protective Services start with you”** he snarled before he turned back to look at Tori, his entire face softening as his eyes dimmed.

“Is she doing anything else that’s hurting you or that you don’t like, sweetheart?” he asked. Tori glanced up at her mother before she looked back at Sicheng and picked up a bobby pin.

“These pins she pokes into my hair. They hurt my head” she explained. Sicheng smiled gently.

“I bet they do. You know what? I’ll just take them, okay?” he stated as he held out his hand, Tori immediately placing all the bobby pins into it. He then put them into his pocket before he picked up a yellow butterfly clip.

“What about this one?” he asked. Tori shook her head.

“No. That one’s my favorite” she replied. Sicheng smiled and reached out, gently stroking her cheek as Alicia placed her hands on her hips.

“I hope you plan to reimburse me for those” she grumbled. Sicheng shot her a look.

“Yeah, I don’t because they’re part of a crime scene” he snapped as he stood up and motioned to the room.

“Every single thing in this room is evidence in a murder investigation” he snarled before he looked down at Tori.

“Sweetheart, can you give us a moment?” he asked. Tori nodded and stood up, heading to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door was closed, Sicheng looked at Alicia and snarled.

**“** **You’re so lucky you’re dealing with me and not my partner, or you’d already be dead”** he snarled. Alicia scoffed and rolled her eyes before she crossed her arms.

“Why? Am I a suspect?” she asked. 

“The hotel’s computer key log system has you leaving your room at 2:43 a.m, and Suzanne Gramercy’s door opening at 2:45” Donghyuck snapped, walking over to stand beside Sicheng. Alicia shrugged.

“Must have been around the time I went to get some ice” she replied. Donghyuck gave her a look.

“Ma’am, do I look stupid to you? I found a bead just like this one at the murder scene” he stated, motioning to a pink dress on the dresser behind him. Alicia looked at him before scoffing.

“Well, I didn’t want to speak ill of the dead” she replied.

“Why don’t you try the truth?” Sicheng suggested. Alicia looked at him before huffing.

“Suzanne tried to sabotage Tori” she explained.

~*~*~*~*~

_At 2:45 a.m., Alicia Haverford banged on Mrs. Gramercy’s door, making Suzanne Gramercy open the door before Alicia pushed her way in._

_“Hey, hey! What are you doing?! Melrose is sleeping” Suzanne hissed._

_“You ripped Tori’s dress” Alicia snarled, showing Suzanne Tori’s dress. Suzanna shook her head._

_“_ _I_ _didn’t touch your cheap costume” she snapped. Alicia raised an eyebrow._

_“Cheap? This dress cost five grand. It’s custom” she snarled. Suzanna shrugged._

_“Look, Melrose is taking that crown” she declared, making Alicia scoff._

_“Don’t go counting your chickens yet. We’ve got a backup outfit” she replied. Suzanna rolled her eyes and pointed to the door._

_“Would you just get out? Get out before I call security. Go!” she snapped. Alicia looked at her before she turned and walked out, Tori’s torn dress dropping a bead on the way out._

~*~*~*~*~

“And?” Sicheng asked. Alicia shrugged.

“And then I went back to bed” she replied. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“You sure? Because the door never fully closed” he stated. Alicia scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please. I would never kill someone over a Regional” she replied. Sicheng and Donghyuck looked at one another before they huffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe! Also, I just thought y'all should know, this case is probably my favorite case I've written for this fic.


	109. Case 16: Crowned - Part 4

In one of the private rooms in the lab, Doyoung was sitting with Melrose; Doyoung working on some paperwork while Melrose was drawing a picture. As they were working, there was a knock on the door, making Doyoung look up and over at the door before he looked at Melrose.

“Sweetie, I need to leave the room for a minute, okay?” he explained gently. Melrose was quiet before she looked at him.

“Please don’t leave” she begged. Doyoung shut his eyes and took a deep breath before he sighed.

“How about this?” he started before he pointed to the mirror to Melrose’s right and his left. 

“Do you see that mirror right there?” he asked. Melrose nodded. Doyoung smiled slightly.

“It’s actually a window. And I’m just gonna be on the other side of it and I can see you the whole time” he assured. Melrose sniffled.

“But I won’t be able to see you” she whimpered. Doyoung hummed.

“That’s a good point” he agreed before he smiled gently.

“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you hold my ring for me, okay?” he suggested, reaching up to take off his simple silver band that he wore on his left ring finger. 

“This way you know I’ll be right back” he explained, passing over his wedding band to Melrose, who took it and held onto it tightly. Doyoung smiled before he stood up and walked out of the room, heading over to Jaehyun, whom he knew was qualified to talk to Melrose, even though he was a criminal psychologist.

“Well?” he asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Medically, Melrose appears to be unharmed” he replied. Doyoung let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank goodness” he murmured. Jaehyun then pursed his lips.

“But I think she knows more than she understands” he stated, giving Doyoung a look. Doyoung hummed.

“Do you think she witnessed the murder?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“I can’t say for sure. I’d like to revisit this morning’s events with her” he stated. Doyoung nodded.

“Okay” he replied. Jaehyun nodded before he walked into the room and sat down before Melrose.

“Melrose?” he gently called out, making her look up at him.

“My name is Dr. Jung Jaehyun. It’s nice to meet you” he greeted. Melrose smiled shyly.

“Hi” she replied. Jaehyun smiled again before he cleared his throat.

“Now, I have some rules. If I ask you a question, and you don’t know, just say, _“I don’t know.”_ Think you can do that?” he asked. Melrose nodded.

“Mmhm” she replied. Jaehyun smiled.

“Okay” he replied before he looked at Melrose.

“Now, what’s my favorite color?” he asked. Melrose looked at him and shook her head.

“I don’t know” she replied. Jaehyun smiled.

“That’s exactly right. You don’t know my favorite color, so _“I don’t know”_ is the right thing to say” he praised. Melrose smiled as well, just as Jaehyun’s smile faded and he turned serious.

“Now, what do you remember about the last time you saw your mommy today?” he asked gently. Melrose looked at him before he looked down at Doyoung’s wedding ring and began playing with it.

“She fell down” she murmured. Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay sweetie. And then what happened?” he asked as Melrose continued to play with Doyoung’s wedding ring.

“I got scared and I closed the door” she explained.

“To the bathroom?” Jaehyun asked. Melrose nodded. 

“And then, I did my makeup” she explained. Jaehyun nodded slowly.

“Did someone say angry words to your mommy before she fell?” he asked. Melrose was quiet before she shook her head.

“I don’t know” she replied.

“Okay baby. Did anyone hurt your mommy?” Jaehyun asked. Melrose was quiet before she nodded slightly. Jaehyun made a face before he looked towards the mirror, where Doyoung was standing, before looking back at Melrose.

“Do you know who it was?” he asked. Melrose nodded.

“It was Hoppa” she replied. Behind the two-way mirror, Doyoung sucked in a deep breath before he sighed and knocked on the window. Jaehyun looked back at him again and nodded before he stood up, gently stroking Melrose’s hair before walking out of the room.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I need you to bring in Melrose’s father” Doyoung declared. Jaehyun nodded.

“Will do” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After Jaehyun brought Larry in, he and Taeyong went to interrogate him.

“Have a seat, Mr. Gramercy” Taeyong instructed. Larry looked in him in confusion as Jaehyun motioned to the chair.

“Sit” he ordered. Larry did as he was told, sitting down in the chair before looking at the two men in confusion.

“What’s going on?” he asked. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“This year, you and your wife spent $60,000 on the pageants” he stated.

“That’s more than half the annual income from your garage” Jaehyun added. Larry looked at them in shock.

“You-You checked out tax returns?” he asked. Jaehyun huffed.

“You wasted your hard-earned paycheck on tiaras and ball gowns for a six-year-old? That has to be a little aggravating” he mused. Larry looked at him and glared.

“I wasn’t happy about it” he grumbled. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“You ever fight about it?” he asked. Larry nodded.

“Occasionally” he replied. Taeyong hummed.

“Did it ever get ugly?” he inquired. Larry scoffed.

“You think I killed Suzanne” he stated. Jaehyun gave him a look.

“You told us the last time you saw her was about 8:30 last night?” he asked. Larry nodded.

“That’s right” he replied. 

“That’s a lie” Taeyong growled. 

“Your daughter put you in your wife’s room several hours later. She also said that _you_ hurt Suzanne” Jaehyun added. Larry looked at them before he sighed.

“I thought Melrose was asleep” he admitted.

~*~*~*~*~

_“_ _Can you please tell me why my credit card was denied today?” Suzanne hissed as she and Larry stood before one another in her bedroom._

_“I canceled it” Larry replied. Suzanne looked at him in shock._

_“What? How is Melrose gonna win this pageant without the Deluxe Confetti Avalanche at the end of her runway strut?” she exclaimed._

_“_ _$_ _250 for a bunch of cut-up paper” Larry snapped._

_“They are flower petals” Suzanne hissed. Larry then picked up Melrose’s crown and shoved it in Suzanne’s face._

_“I can buy 20 of these for $250” he snapped. Suzanne narrowed her eyes._

_“Well, you obviously don’t care about making your daughter happy” she hissed. Larry looked at her and sighed heavily, not realizing that the entire time, Melrose was awake._

~*~*~*~*~

“I had no idea she heard all that” Larry murmured. 

“How far did you take it?” Taeyong demanded, narrowing his eyes.

“I raised my voice. That’s it” Larry replied. Jaehyun and Taeyong looked at one another before they nodded.

“Alright. Thank you Mr. Gramercy” Taeyong thanked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	110. Case 16: Crowned - Part 5

In the computer lab, Mark and Doyoung were watching the video footage that they got from the pageant.

“Are these the tapes from the sizzle reel?” Doyoung asked. Mark nodded.

“All 263 of them” he replied. Doyoung hummed before he looked at the screen.

“Okay, let’s pull up all the images of Suzanne Gramercy. If this was, in fact, a premeditated murder, maybe we can catch someone on tape stalking her” he mused. Mark nodded.

“Okay” he replied before he quickly scrolled through the footage, until he found Suzanne.

“And there’s Suzanne in the lobby” he declared before he scrolled through more footage.

“Hey, Mark, why do all these images have snow around them? Do you see that?” Doyoung asked. 

“When the videotape is paused or freeze-framed, the tape gets damaged” a voice called out, making Doyoung and Mark jump and spin around to see Yuta standing in his lab, a small smirk on his face with his arms crossed in front of him.

“Hyung” Mark greeted with a smile.

“Honestly, Doyoung, if you’re gonna work video, you should be asking me” Yuta chided gently. Doyoung chuckled.

“Sorry” he apologized before he motioned to the computer screen.

“So, you’re telling us that people have reviewed these tapes and paused where these images are?” he asked. Yuta nodded as he walked over to them.

“Yup” he replied as Mark looked over at him.

“Can you find other artifacts?” he asked. Yuta smirked.

“Step back and watch me do my thing, kid” he teased, gently shoving Mark out of the way before he began searching through the footage, frowning as he looked at the footage.

“It’s every image of Suzanne Gramercy. It’s as if the person is studying her” he murmured. Mark frowned.

“Wait, so you’re saying that the killer had access to these tapes?” he asked, looking over at Yuta.

“Maybe” Yuta replied as he continued to go through the footage until he found Suzanne alone. Doyoung pointed to the footage.

“Well, there’s Suzanne right there—no artifact” he stated. Yuta, Doyoung, and Mark were quiet before Doyoung let out a deep sigh.

“Yuta, see if you can find an image of Melrose without Suzanne in it” he instructed. Yuta nodded.

“You got it” he replied, running through the footage until he found one.

“Here’s one” he declared. Doyoung hissed.

“Look at how blurry it becomes” he murmured. Mark shook his head.

“I’m starting to think the focus wasn’t on Suzanne” he murmured. Doyoung shook his head as he pulled out his phone.

“No. I think our killer was after Melrose. Maybe Suzanne died protecting her daughter” he murmured before he dialed a number.

_“Donghyuck”_ a voice answered.

“Haechan, it’s me. Listen, do you know where Melrose Gramercy is?” Doyoung demanded. 

_“She’s here in YPD with her father”_ Donghyuck replied.

“Keep an eye on her for me, would you? You know what I say when it comes to kids?” Doyoung instructed. 

_“I know hyung, trust no one”_ Donghyuck replied, just as Mark reached over and poked him in the arm.

“Hyung” he whispered. Doyoung looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Hang on, Haechan. What’s up?” he asked. Yuta motioned to the computer.

“Take a look at this. I found another artifact” he stated, motioning to a video of Tori.

“Melrose wasn’t the only little girl being watched. This one too” Mark stated. Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“Fuck. Haechan, get to Tori Haverford’s room right away. I think she’s our killer’s next target” he ordered. 

_“Got it”_ Donghyuck replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After Doyoung’s call, Donghyuck ran to the hotel and to Tori and Alicia Haverford’s room.

“Tori! Tori! Mrs. Haverford!” he shouted, banging on the door.

“What is it? What’s going on?!” Alicia exclaimed as she came running over to him. 

“Where’s Tori? Where’s your daughter?” Donghyuck demanded. Alicia frowned at him.

“She’s in the room, napping” she replied. Donghyuck motioned to the door.

“Open it. Open it now” he ordered. Alicia nodded and quickly used her keycard, opening the room, Donghyuck pushing his way inside.

“Tori!” he called out, Alicia following behind.

“Tori?” she called, but Donghyuck motioned for her to stay.

“Stay back. Stay back!” he ordered as he looked around the room.

“Tori!” he called out. 

“Where’s my daughter?!” Alicia exclaimed.

“Tori!” Donghyuck shouted, checking the bathroom before walking back out to the main room.

“Tori? Tori!! Tori?!” Alicia exclaimed before she looked at Donghyuck with scared eyes.

“She was sleeping in that bed ten minutes—” she started when Donghyuck glared at her.

“Well, she’s not here right now, okay?” he snapped as he continued to tear apart the room.

“Please, where is she?! Tori! Tori!” Alicia cried as she also tore up the room. 

“Don’t worry, ma’am, we’re gonna find her” Donghyuck assured as he pulled out his phone.

“This is CSI Lee Donghyuck. I have a critical missing: Tori Haverford, six-years-old, brown hair, green eyes. She was last seen at the Casa Bena Hotel, room 107. Send search-and-rescue dogs here. I need an Amber Alert put out right away” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, downstairs, Doyoung was speaking to Darla Chambers.

“I don’t understand. Just ‘cause I organized the pageant, you think I know where Tori is?” Darla snapped.

“They are _your_ promotional tapes. Whoever watched them was targeting Tori. So, who had access?” Doyoung snarled. Darla looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“You think that I’m somehow responsible?” she asked. Doyoung glared at her.

“Did you give someone the tapes?” he demanded. Darla threw her hands up in the air.

“Oh, so ridiculous! You know what I’m doing? I’m calling my lawyer” she declared as she pulled out her phone. Doyoung smirked before he reached out and snatched her phone from her hand.

“Great. In fact, I will scroll through your contacts myself, because I’m sure whoever you let watch the tape is in here” he snarled. Darla glared at him.

“You know you have no right” she stated.

**“I have probable cause”** Doyoung roared before he began to go through the phone until he found a couple of videos. He glanced up at Darla before he clicked on one of the videos.

_“I am focused”_ Darla declared through the phone.

_“You sure?”_ Edwin Chambers replied. 

_“Oh, I’m sure. I’m sure you’re gonna like this”_ Darla assured. Edwin smiled.

_“I can’t wait to see it”_ he replied as Darla laughed before zooming in on Tori in the background behind her husband.

_“Who’s a pretty girl?”_ she cooed, just as the video stopped, making Doyoung look up at Darla in horror.

“Oh my God. It’s your husband. You’re _helping_ him” he whispered before his eyes flashed.

**“Where’s your husband, Darla? Where did he take Tori?”** he snarled. Darla smiled.

“Sweetie, this is where I insist on a lawyer…right now” she replied. Doyoung snarled.

**“If you’ve hurt one little hair on her hair, I will put you in the ground MYSELF!”** he threatened before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeyong, Donghyuck, and Sicheng arrived at the Chamber’s home, a few of Jaehyun’s officers busting down the door.

“Edwin Chambers! YPD!” an officer called out as Taeyong and Sicheng stepped inside, gun drawn. Meanwhile, Donghyuck went around the back, his gun also drawn, when he found something. 

“Clear. It’s empty” Sicheng declared.

“HYUNG!” Donghyuck called from the side door, making Sicheng and Taeyong look over at him.

“Yeah?” Taeyong replied. Donghyuck let out a huff.

“Listen, I found something in the backyard. You need to see it. Like, now” he panted. Taeyong nodded.

“Show me” he ordered. The three men then headed outside, Donghyuck leading the way.

“The yard, it looks like it ends here, but it doesn’t” he explained as he led Sicheng and Taeyong to a weird tent/play shed.

“What the hell is this?” Sicheng demanded as Donghyuck stepped inside the tent, only to find a post with a metal chain on it. He then knelt beside it before he looked over at Sicheng and Taeyong.

“This is set up for a little girl” he declared.

“It’s a jail cell” Taeyong growled as Sicheng knelt down, noticing a yellow butterfly clip in the dirt.

“This is Tori’s. She was here” he declared. Taeyong frowned.

“So where is she now?” he asked, hands on his hips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	111. Case 16: Crowned - Part 6

After finding the jail cell, Taeyong had officers search the house, while Sicheng and Donghyuck searched the backyard.

“Okay, how about if I take the house and you take the tent?” Sicheng suggested. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, there should be something in there that will lead us to where he took Tori” he murmured, just as Sicheng’s phone buzzed. He quickly pulled it out and looked at it before frowning.

“Fuck. Tori’s mom’s here” he grumbled. Donghyuck huffed.

“Good luck, hyung” he murmured. Sicheng smiled slightly.

“Thanks” he thanked before he headed off towards the house, leaving Donghyuck to deal with the tent.

~*~*~*~*~

At the front of the house, Alicia was fighting with an officer, trying to get through, when Sicheng came running over to her.

“What are you doing here?!” he exclaimed. 

“I-I had to come here. I need to know—” Alicia started when she saw an officer carrying something swaddled in cloth.

“My baby!” she cried, making Sicheng’s eyes widen and quickly shake his head.

“No, no, no, no. Tori’s not here. That is just evidence. She’s not here. We’re still looking for her” he soothed. Alicia shook her head.

“You don’t understand. She’s never spent the night without me. I need to do something” she explained. Sicheng looked at her before he sighed.

“Well, what you can do is you can give me the pictures that we asked you for earlier; that would be very helpful” he stated. Alicia nodded and quickly reached into her purse, pulling out very dolled up pictures of Tori, handing them over to Sicheng, who sighed before stepping under the police tape to stand before Alicia.

“Mrs. Haverford, this is not what Tori looks like right now. Do you have a picture of what your little girl actually looks like?” he asked. Alicia nodded and reached into her purse, pulling out her wallet before pulling out a small school photo of Tori.

“Is this okay?” she asked, handing the picture to Sicheng. Sicheng took it and nodded.

“This is perfect. Thank you” he thanked, turning to head back inside when Alicia grabbed his arm.

“I-I just…this is my fault, isn’t it? I put her on display” she explained. Sicheng looked at her before sighing.

“I’ll be honest: it made it easier. But you’re not the criminal here. The person who took her is. And I promise you, we are doing everything that we can. I promise you” he assured before he stepped back under the police tape and headed back towards the house.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Donghyuck was searching around the tent, searching for any sign of Tori. He quickly bagged everything from blankets to toys when he noticed some candy wrappers on the ground.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, inside the house, Sicheng found a stack of photos of little girls rubber banded together and just the sight of them made his stomach churn. He quickly took an evidence bag and placed the photos inside before he went back to searching the house.

~*~*~*~*~

Back outside, Donghyuck kept searching the tent when he found a soft pink music box. As he looked at it, he thought he saw a print on the mirror, so he opened his kit and pulled out his powder and his duster, dusting the mirror. He then took lifting tape and pressed it carefully on the glass, lifting the small print off the mirror. 

~*~*~*~*~

After returning from the Chambers’ house, Donghyuck slid the music box over to Jan, who was sitting across from him and Doyoung.

“Jan, we found your fingerprints on this box at the Chambers’ house” he stated gently. Jan frowned and shook her head.

“That’s impossible. I was never there” she replied. Doyoung and Donghyuck shared a look before Doyoung sighed.

“Jan…it was your fingerprint. But it was smaller…like a child’s” he explained gently, causing Jan to squeeze her eyes shut.

“Please…I just don’t want to talk about it” she whimpered.

“What is it, Jan? Did…Did Edwin Chambers kidnap you when you were little?” Doyoung asked gently. Jan shook her head.

“It’s vague and it’s mixed up. I just don’t know what happened” she explained as she reached out and opened the music box, the soft melody beginning to play. 

“Jan, anything you can remember may help lead us to Tori” Donghyuck murmured, just as Jan slammed the music box shut. 

“I can’t remember. I’m so sorry. I just can’t” she replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

**“So you and your husband used the pageants as a hunting ground”** Taeyong growled, eyes glowing red. 

“Save the accusations, Lieutenant. My client was a victim of Edwin Chambers as well” Darla’s lawyer explained. 

“He would have killed me. I’m a survivor” Darla exclaimed. Her lawyer nodded.

“Yes. Have the State Attorney grant her immunity and she’ll cooperate” she stated. Taeyong snarled.

**“A six-year-old girl is missing and you’re working for a deal”** he snarled, making Darla avoid eye contact with him.

**“I’ve seen the video of the girls on your phone. Do you know what they do to a pedophile in prison?”** he continued.

“Don’t listen to him, Darla” Darla’s lawyer instructed.

**“They’re gonna tear you into little pieces”** Taeyong hissed before he glared at Darla.

**“Where. Is. Your. Husband?”** he demanded, enunciating every word. Darla looked away from him before she sighed.

“There’s a place that he likes to go on Tuesday afternoon” she replied.

**“Tuesday afternoon. Where would that be?”** Taeyong asked. Darla shook her head.

“I don’t know, I don’t know. It’s his private place” she replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	112. Case 16: Crowned - Part 7

“I think Edwin Chambers left these smudges on the murder weapon. I’ll run analysis. Maybe it’ll lead us to where he’s keeping Tori” Sicheng declared in his lab as he looked at the bloody crown. Yuta and Mark, who were also with him, frowned.

“Hold on a second, baby” Yuta murmured as he looked down at the crime scene photos of the crown.

“These marks weren’t there before. Is it makeup?” he murmured. Mark looked at the crown before he picked up another crime scene photo of a tanning gun.

“Well, we found this tanning gun at the crime scene, so my guess is that it’s bronzer. Bronzer darkens over time, which is why we haven’t seen it till now” he mused. Yuta frowned.

“Okay, but how is that even possible? DHA darkens skin cells by reacting with its amino acids and proteins. This is cotton” he argued, pointing to the crown.

“It’s the sweat in the lining. It contains a protein which reacts with DHA” Sicheng explained. Yuta was quiet before he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number, putting it up to his ear.

_“_ _Moon”_ Taeil greeted.

“Hey, hyung, it’s me. Are you close to Suzanne Gramercy’s body?” Yuta asked. 

_“_ _Yes”_ Taeil replied.

“Could you check it out for me?” Yuta asked. Taeil hummed.

_“_ _Anything specific?”_ he replied. 

“Uh-huh, her hands” Yuta stated. 

_“_ _Okay…”_ Taeil murmured.

“Does it look like she’s been using bronzer?” Yuta inquired. 

_“_ _Her right hand does have some dark markings on it. Honestly, I don’t know how I could have missed this earlier”_ Taeil grumbled.

“Not even your fault, hyung. Don’t worry about it; they’re just starting to show now” Yuta stated.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the private room, Doyoung was sitting with Melrose as she was drawing when Doyoung’s phone rang.

“Kim” he answered.

_“_ _Hey, are you with Melrose right now?”_ Yuta asked. Doyoung hummed.

“Yeah. What do you need?” he asked. 

_“_ _Does it look like there was bronzer applied to her?”_ Yuta inquired. Doyoung was quiet as he studied Melrose.

“It does on half her neck, her arms, and her hands” he replied.

_“_ _Mmhm. Back of her hands?”_ Yuta asked.

“Yes” Doyoung answered before he frowned.

“Is this important?” he asked. 

_“_ _Maybe. I’m working a theory here. I’ll get back with you. Thanks”_ Yuta thanked before he hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

In Sicheng’s lab, both Mark and Sicheng were looking at Yuta with raised eyebrows.

“You wanna share your theory with the class?” Sicheng asked. Yuta sighed.

“Suzanne had to be murdered while she was applying bronzer to Melrose” he explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“Okay, so you’re saying that her attacker would also have bronzer residue?” he asked. Yuta shook his head.

“No, baby, you’re totally missing the point. Look at the crown’s lining” he instructed. Both Sicheng and Mark looked at the crown’s lining and found holes in the bronzer.

“There’s voids in the bronzer” Yuta explained. Mark nodded.

“Oh yeah, you’re right. But they’re too small to be fingers” he argued.

“Unless—” Sicheng started.

“We’re not talking about adult fingers” Yuta finished. Mark was quiet before his eyes widened.

“Oh. Oh my God” he whispered. Yuta and Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah” Yuta agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

After the discovery, Yuta took the crown to Doyoung, who sighed before thanking him. Once Yuta left, Doyoung walked over to Melrose and sat down before her.

“Sweetheart, will you just hold this for me?” he asked gently. Melrose looked at him before she nodded, taking the crown in her hands, holding them in the exact spot where the voids were. Doyoung then took the crown out of Melrose’s hands and placed it on the table before he looked at Melrose.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly. Melrose shook her head, tears in her eyes.

“Come here, baby” Doyoung whispered, holding out his arms. Melrose immediately jumped into them, koala hugging him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. It wasn’t your fault” he soothed, gently rubbing her back, just as Larry walked over to them and sat down.

“What’s going on?” he asked, making Melrose pull away from Doyoung and look over at him.

“Daddy” she whimpered, jumping into her father’s arms, curling into them. Doyoung took a deep breath before he looked Larry in the eyes.

“There’s a reason why Melrose saw your wife fall” he explained gently. Larry frowned.

“What’s that mean?” he asked. 

“I made Mommy fall down” Melrose whimpered, making Larry look at her in confusion.

~*~*~*~*~

_In the hotel room, Suzanne turned on the tanning gun and began spraying Melrose as Melrose jumped up and down on the bed._

_“Melrose, stop jumping around! Stop!” she scolded. Melrose shook her head._

_“No!” she replied as she kept jumping on the bed. Suzanne huffed._

_“You’re not behaving like a winner. Don’t you want to win?” she asked._

_“No! It’s stinky” Melrose exclaimed as she continued to jump on the bed while her mother still sprayed her. Suzanne groaned as she put down the tanning gun and picked up the crown._

_“Melrose…don’t you want to win another one of these?” she asked, holding the crown out to Melrose. Melrose took the crown with a grumble as Suzanne picked up the tanning gun again._

_“Now, let me make you pretty!” she declared as Melrose started jumping again._

_“I don’t want to be pretty!” she yelled before she slammed the crown down onto the bed._

_“Melrose Princess Gramercy!” Suzanne started as Melrose backed away from her and continued to jump on the bed._

_“Melrose Princess Gramercy!” Suzanna scolded as she took a step forward, trying to grab her daughter, when her foot caught on the tanning gun tubing and she fell forward onto the crown before rolling off onto the floor, dead. Melrose looked at her dead mother in horror and shock before she jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her._

~*~*~*~*~

“I didn’t mean to hurt her” Melrose whimpered as she looked at her father. Larry looked at her with wide eyes before he pulled her in for a hug.

“Oh, sweetheart, I know that. I know that, it’s okay” he soothed, gently rubbing her back before looking over at Doyoung.

“What happens now?” he asked, Melrose also looking over at him. Doyoung shook his head.

“It was an accident, Larry. It was a tragic accident. We’ll close the case” he assured. Larry nodded as he hugged Melrose tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	113. Case 16: Crowned - CASE CLOSED

“So you’re sure? Melrose isn’t in trouble?” Jan asked as she looked at Taeyong. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, she’s not. But there’s another little girl who’s still out there” he replied gently. Jan looked at him and huffed.

“Look…I’m sorry. I wish I could help you. But I have no memory of who took me or where. It’s blank” she snapped. Taeyong smiled gently.

“I know a specialist who may be able to work with you” he explained, making Jan scoff.

“God, what makes you think it would even work?” she demanded as she looked at him. Taeyong shook his head.

“I’m not sure it’s going to work. But if it does, we can save this child” he stated. Jan looked at him before she nodded.

“Okay” she agreed. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jan sat before Jaehyun, who smiled gently at her.

“Look, you can ask me what he did to me a thousand times. I just can’t remember” Jan explained. 

“Your father says he remembers you went missing for a few hours during one of your pageants. Do you remember that?” Jaehyun asked as Taeyong watched from behind the two way mirror. Jan was quiet, a thoughtful look on her face.

“That time I got lost” she murmured. Jaehyun nodded.

“Good. When did you know you were going to be okay?” he asked. Jan’s lip turned up in a small smile.

“When I saw my mom and dad” she replied. Jaehyun nodded again.

“When you were lost, what did you see?” he inquired. Jan frowned, thinking.

“It was dark. There was this little light. It was…like a flicker. And…I kept trying to move my hands, but I couldn’t because they were tied. And he had these gloves. White, fuzzy gloves” she replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“Okay. The room you were in, was it a house?” he asked. Jan shook her head.

“No. It wasn’t a house. It was cold. And it smelled” she answered. Jaehyun frowned.

“Like what?” he asked.

“Like…like butter, or…or oil” Jan answered. Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay. And what about the man that was with you?” he asked. Jan hummed.

“The man…had this pet mouse. But it wasn’t like a normal mouse, it was…it was big” she replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“Do you recall anything else about that day?” he inquired. Jan nodded.

“The man…he was looking through this little window. There was this clicking noise. And I was trying to undo my ties. But I was scared, I was so scared that he was gonna come back” she explained. Jaehyun nodded before he smiled.

“You did really good, honey” he praised. Jan smiled weakly as Jaehyun stood up and walked out, looking at Taeyong.

“You heard all that?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“I did. Clicking could be a film projector” he stated. Jaehyun nodded in agreement.

“And maybe he was looking through a window in a projection booth. Projectionists wear gloves to protect the film” he reminded. Taeyong was quiet before it hit him.

“The butter smell, the clicking sound, the fuzzy gloves…a movie theater” he growled. Jaehyun nodded.

“My thoughts exactly” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

At an old movie theater, up in a projection booth, Tori was bound with chains to whimpering as popcorn littered the floor around her. Just then, Edwin Chambers walked into the booth and closed the projector.

“You’re really going to like this movie” he declared, a smile in his voice. 

~*~*~*~*~

“I went over Chambers’ work history. There’s no record of him being a projectionist, ticket taker, usher, candy vendor, nothing” Mark growled as he walked into Yuta’s lab and over to Yuta.

“Really? So then why a theater?” Yuta asked as he looked at his computer screen, which had all the theatres pulled up on it. Mark looked over at well, frowning.

“These all the theaters in the area?” he asked. Yuta nodded.

“Mm. In a 20-mile radius of the Chambers’ house” he replied as he narrowed his eyes at the screen.

“There were two movies with cartoon mice out ten years ago. These are the screens they play on” he stated. Mark shook his head.

“I don’t get it. How would you hide a child during work hours?” he asked. Yuta frowned.

“It would be hard, right?” he replied. Mark nodded.

“Yeah” he agreed before his eyes widened.

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait” he breathed. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah?” he replied. 

“Chambers’ wife told Taeyong he went to a…special place on Tuesdays” Mark explained. Yuta nodded as he turned to his computer.

“Now that gives me something to work with” he murmured as he searched through the movie theaters until he found one.

“Here. This one’s closed on Tuesdays” he declared, blowing up the location. Mark nodded.

“That’s it. That’s where he’s got Tori. Hyung, you’re amazing” he praised before he turned and walked away, pulling out his phone.

“Hyung. Yeah, I got an address” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

After getting the address from Mark, Taeyong and Jaehyun were off. At the movie theatre, zany cartoon music was playing as Tori sobbed in her chair up in the projection box. Edwin then walked over to her and smiled.

“So, how’s my sweet little friend?” he asked. Tori said nothing as she kept on crying, making Edwin huff.

“This is playtime. Okay? I’m going to undo your chains, now, and we’re going to play, okay? All my friends like to play” he explained. Tori shook her head.

“No” she whimpered. 

“We’ll have fun” Edwin assured as he reached for Tori’s ankle chains.

“No!” Tori cried.

“It’s time to play” Edwin urged as Tori kicked in her chair.

“No, let me go!” she wailed. Edwin smiled.

“You know what? You’re so pretty when you cry” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Just then, Taeyong’s Lamborghini pulled up to the closed theater, both Jaehyun and Taeyong getting out. They then opened up the sliding side door before they quietly slipped inside, both of their guns drawn as the cartoon mouse movie, Mighty Mouse, played on the screen.

~*~*~*~*~

“No, let me go! No!” Tori screamed, still fighting against Edwin, making him growl.

“Fine, just sit” he growled.

“I want Mommy” she sobbed.

“I’ll be right back” Edwin murmured before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Taeyong and Jaehyun continued through the theatre, quietly climbing up the side stairs towards the projection boot.

~*~*~*~*~

Edwin soon came back, a bag of popcorn in his hands.

“My special friend took me here when I was your age” he explained before he placed the bag of popcorn on Tori.

“I brought you some treats” he declared. He then looked into Tori’s red-rimmed crying green eyes.

“Now, I’m going to ask you one last time…will you be my friend?” he asked. Tori shook her head.

“No” she whispered.

**“I want to be your friend”** a voice growled, making Edwin turn to see Jaehyun and Taeyong at the door of the projection booth, Taeyong’s eyes glowing red as Jaehyun’s glowed white.

**“Get away from that girl”** Jaehyun ordered. Edwin said nothing as he pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it at Tori, making Jaehyun and Taeyong’s eyes widen.

**“No, no, no! NO!”** Jaehyun shouted.

**“Edwin…”** Taeyong warned, making Edwin look at him.

“You let me out of here, right now, or she gets it. Right now! I mean it! I will kill her!” he shouted, making Tori sob harder.

**“Edwin…that’s not necessary”** Taeyong stated before he huffed.

**“You know what, Edwin? Go ahead. Go. Go!”** he barked. Edwin looked at him before he turned and took off running. Taeyong gave him a few second head start before he rushed after him.

**“Stay with the girl”** he ordered. Jaehyun nodded.

**“I got her”** he replied as his eyes returned to normal and he put away his gun. He then walked over to Tori and reached out, gently stroking her cheek.

“You okay, baby girl? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he asked gently. Tori shook her head.

“No” she whimpered.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong chased Edwin out of the projection booth and about halfway down the stairs before he stopped and pointed his gun at him.

**“Edwin…”** he started, making Edwin stop and face him, pointing his own gun at him. He then fired off a few shots, but he was a shit shot, so thankfully none of them hit Taeyong.

~*~*~*~*~

At the sound of the gunshots, up in the booth, Tori let out a gasp before she started crying again.

“Am I going to get shot?” she whimpered. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No, baby, you’re not gonna get shot. You’re gonna be fine, okay? I’m here, I’ll protect you” he soothed before he frowned.

“Did you see where he put the key?” he asked. Tori shook her head.

“No” she cried. Jaehyun nodded and reached up, gently wiping away her tears.

“Okay, baby, okay” he soothed before he took a deep breath.

“Time to go old school” he murmured before he took the chains in his hands and yanked them apart, shattering the links in the chains. 

~*~*~*~*~

**“That’s far enough, Edwin!”** Taeyong roared out in the seats, Edwin turning to take another shot at him when he fired instead, hitting Edwin in the shoulder and sending him over the railing. Edwin quickly caught the railing and hung on for dear life as Taeyong lowered his gun and slowly made his way towards him.

~*~*~*~*~

Once the chains were shattered, Jaehyun reached out and scooped her into his arms.

“I got you baby, I got you” he soothed as he ran out of the theatre, Tori clutched tight in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong continued to slowly make his way towards Edwin, eyes glowing bright red as shadowy tendrils began to swirl around him. He then stood above Edwin; gun pointed straight at his head as Edwin hung onto the railing.

“I’m sorry, okay? I can change, I know I can” Edwin cried. Taeyong tilted his head to the side, glowing red eyes dangerous.

**“Really? None of us change that much”** he growled. Edwin continued to grunt as he slowly began to lose his grip on the railing, much to Taeyong’s wicked delight.

**“I think you’re going to fall”** he purred. 

“Then you gotta help me!” Edwin screamed. Taeyong lowered his gun and put it back in his holster, the shadow tendrils growing around him, sending the entire interior of the theatre into darkness, save for the movie that was playing on the screen.

**“Do I?”** he replied, his body slipping into the darkness until nothing but his glowing red eyes could be seen.

“Ah! Come on!” Edwin cried before he finally slipped and fell to the seats below, breaking both his neck and spine in the fall. Taeyong looked over the edge and snarled.

**“Serves you right”** he spat. 

“Taeyong” a voice called out, making Taeyong look over to see Jaehyun standing a few feet from him, eyes glowing white. When Taeyong saw him, the shadowy tendrils faded and his eyes returned to normal as a small smile graced his face.

“Jaehyun” he whispered. Jaehyun smiled as he held open his arms, which Taeyong immediately walked over and threw himself into. Jaehyun hugged him tightly, pressing a gentle kiss to his hair as his own eyes faded to normal.

“Is he dead?” he whispered. Taeyong nodded against Jaehyun’s neck.

“He can’t hurt another little girl anymore” he replied. Jaehyun let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God” he breathed before he pulled away and looked into Taeyong’s eyes.

“How’s Tori?” Taeyong asked. Jaehyun smiled.

“She’s fine, just shaken up” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Shall we go return her to her mother?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Let’s” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the movie theatre, Jaehyun and Taeyong drove towards Tori’s home, the little girl asleep in the backseat of Taeyong’s Lamborghini. As they were driving to Tori’s house, Jaehyun looked over at Taeyong.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like that” he murmured. Taeyong chuckled.

“Like what?” he replied. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Well, the whole shadowy tendrils thing. In all my years of knowing you and being married to you, I’ve never seen you so…dangerous” he explained. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“That side of me hardly ever comes out. You may see glimpses of it, but no one has ever truly seen my “dark side”, if you will” he replied. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“So…then am I the first one to ever see your “dark side”?” he teased. Taeyong chuckled.

“Yes. Yes you are” he answered. Jaehyun hummed, a small smile on his face, as Taeyong glanced over at him.

“Will I ever get to see your “dark side”?” he asked. Jaehyun chuckled softly.

“Maybe one day” he replied. Taeyong hummed, just as they pulled up to the Haverford home. Taeyong then parked in the driveway before killing the engine and getting out, Jaehyun doing the same. Jaehyun then put down his seat and moved it forward before he reached out and gently unbuckled Tori from her seat, picking her up and holding her close as he put his seat back to its proper position. He and Taeyong then walked up to the front door; Taeyong knocking on it. The door immediately flew open and Alicia looked at them with wide eyes before she noticed Tori in Jaehyun’s arms.

“Tori!” she exclaimed, making Tori startle in Jaehyun’s arms before she turned to see her mother.

“Mommy!” she cried, holding out her hands to her mother. Alicia immediately took her from Jaehyun’s arms and hugged her tightly as she looked over Tori’s shoulder at Jaehyun and Taeyong.

 _“Thank you”_ she mouthed. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded before they turned and walked away, heading back to Taeyong’s Lamborghini before getting in and driving back to the crime lab.

~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the crime lab and walked inside, they looked around at their team and staff. Mark and Donghyuck were in Mark’s lab, the two young men laughing and playfully bickering with each other, while Yuta and Sicheng were in Sicheng’s lab, Yuta gently pinching Sicheng’s cheek before placing a gentle, apologizing kiss on it, only to receive a gentle smack on the chest in return. Doyoung and Taeil were walking through the lab, both men talking quietly, but Taeyong and Jaehyun could see that their fingers were intertwined, soft smiles on their faces. 

“Feels good to be home, doesn’t it?” Jaehyun asked as he wrapped an arm around Taeyong’s waist, pulling him close as Taeyong rested his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

“There’s no place I’d rather be” he replied.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the end! I thank you all for coming on this journey with me, for leaving your comments, kudos, and bookmarks. They all really mean a lot. 
> 
> Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe! I will hopefully see you all in my next story!

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the re-upload, I received a comment on the other version of this fic that said that I had stolen this work from another author, when I didn't, since this other author was me on a different fanfiction website. Since that comment, I have deleted my other fanfiction account and this is my main fanfiction account. 
> 
> So, with that being said, hope you guys enjoy this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


End file.
